The family of Caroline Ashworth, a 21-year-old woman murdered in August 2022 in Connecticut, filed a civil lawsuit against the psychiatric hospital that discharged her attacker, a 59-year-old dentist, despite the fact that —according to the lawsuit— he had expressed homicidal thoughts and an extreme obsession with the victim.

According to the lawsuit, cited by the Hartford Courant, Ashworth met Michael Mollow when he was 18 years old, in late 2019 or early 2020. During the three-year relationship, Mollow allegedly physically and psychologically abused the young woman, controlling key aspects of her life, such as the use of her car and cell phone.

Warnings Ignored

After multiple calls to the police regarding domestic violence, Ashworth left Mollow's residence on August 22, 2022. The following day, the dentist checked himself into a psychiatric hospital, where—according to the lawsuit—he stated he was “totally obsessed” with his ex-girlfriend and admitted to having homicidal thoughts toward her.

Although he was admitted under a 15-day emergency medical certificate, which allows for involuntary hospitalization Without a court order, Mollow was released after just two days, despite allegedly being willing to remain hospitalized. The lawsuit argues that the release was premature and unjustified.

Before his hospitalization, Mollow allegedly admitted to medical staff that he mixed alcohol with illegally obtained Xanax, that he owned several firearms, and that he had a permit to carry handguns. The police were notified of these statements, although—according to the lawsuit—the case was marked as “inactive” in less than 90 minutes, and Ashworth was never directly alerted.

The Crime

One day after being released from St. Vincent's psychiatric facility, Mollow allegedly followed Ashworth to a residential complex in Wethersfield, where he confronted her in a parking lot and shot her three times, killing her. He then committed suicide with the same weapon.

The victim's mother, Angela Ashworth, filed the lawsuit against SVMC Holdings Inc., the hospital's owner, alleging negligence for failing to take adequate measures to protect her daughter, despite having clear information about the risk Mollow posed.

Legal Debate

During a hearing before the Connecticut Supreme Court, the family's lawyer argued that the hospital had a duty to warn and act in the face of a foreseeable danger. In contrast, the medical center's defense maintained that there was no "duty to warn" and that Ashworth was already aware of her ex-partner's history of threats.

The court case is still pending, and according to records, jury selection is scheduled for December.