Family member seeks to raise money for Windsor double-murder victims’ bills

A family member of two women killed in their Windsor home earlier in the week has launched an effort to raise money to cover their recent bills.

Matthew Marci said he lost his mother, Sandra Marci, 78, and sister, Marianne Marci Dzurenka, 55, to a “vicious murder.” He said the money raised through a GoFundMe fundraiser will pay the women’s “final expenses,” which “includes having their house professionally cleaned from this horrific attack.”

The cleaning bill is estimated at $20,000, he said, because the women did not have insurance.

The fundraiser was set up Wednesday. By 5 p.m. Thursday, it had raised almost $14,500 of its $30,000 goal.

Police have not said how the women died or how the third victim — who survived — is doing.

The man was rushed to Hartford Hospital early Monday after he called 911 from the house at 70 Clover St. to report what police called “an untimely death.” Officers found Marci and Dzurenka and called the state police to help gather evidence, police said.

The man was critically injured, they said.

On Tuesday, police announced the arrests of two male 17-year-olds, both from Windsor. Because they are juveniles, the teens’ names have not been released.

Police didn’t say how the teens were connected to the women, if at all, but hinted that the crime wasn’t random.

“Based on all the information gathered we are confident that this was an isolated incident and there is no further threat to the community,” police said.

Attempts to reach the victims’ family this week have been unsuccessful and police have declined to provide further information about the incident.

Matthew Marci posted a brief remembrance for his mother and sister Tuesday morning on Facebook.

“The house I grew up in has turned into a crime scene. The monsters responsible have been arrested,” he wrote. “However nothing can bring back my loved ones who were needlessly and brutally taken from us too soon. I only hope that they have reunited with my dad and are at peace in a better place.”

Sandra Marci and Marianne Marci Dzurenka were known in the community for their former family-run optometry practice, Windsor Optical.

Marci and Dzurenka also were known for being poll workers during elections and budget votes.

Staff writer Zach Murdock contributed to this report.

Christine Dempsey can be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.