Bludgeoned Woman’s Body Found in Home

Police on Sunday were investigating the death of a woman whose bludgeoned body was found at her estranged husband’s residence near Knott’s Berry Farm.

The victim, identified by police as Donna J. Connaty, 34, was found dead of head injuries inside the couple’s house in the 7700 block of Jackson Way, Buena Park Police Lt. Pat Black said.

Her husband, Richard P. Connaty, 38, spent the weekend in the desert riding motorcycles with the couple’s three children and was unaware of his wife’s death until he came home and found police investigating the homicide, neighbors said.

Police said that the couple had been separated and that Donna Connaty had been living with her mother in another house on Jackson Way, about a block from the house she still jointly owned with her husband in the older, tree-lined neighborhood.

Investigators at the scene questioned and released Richard Connaty, who works as a diesel mechanic.

“There are no known suspects at the time,” said Black, who declined to elaborate on the investigation and said he did not know if there was evidence of forced entry into the house.

Donna Connaty’s body was discovered about 11:30 a.m. by her father-in-law, Ramsay Connaty, who called police, Black said. Reached at his Buena Park home, Ramsay Connaty declined comment.

The victim was last seen on Saturday at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, where she worked a double shift as a nursing assistant, police said. Hospital officials declined comment late Sunday.

Police declined to speculate on why Donna Connaty was at her estranged husband’s home. An autopsy will be performed to determine the time of death, police said.

According to neighbors who declined to give their names, Donna Connaty had a stormy relationship with her husband. Several months ago, she moved out of the couple’s house, residents said, but recently was spending more time there, leading some to believe that she had moved back with her husband. Neighbors said the couple’s children were about ages 6, 8 and 10.

The violent death shocked residents of the normally quiet, residential street just four blocks from Knott’s Berry Farm. “We’ve never had anything like this ever happen,” said one longtime resident of Jackson Way. “This is kind of frightening,” she said.

Another resident said “it’s a great neighborhood” and “everybody is shocked. We want to get some details about what happened. There are a lot of kids here and we’re all pretty worried.”