Jaded Evidence · Interactive investigation · Connecticut
Sophie Ringquist: The Cooper Ouellette Case
Burlington and New Britain, Connecticut · May 20–21, 2023
Upcoming trial: Evidence is scheduled to begin Thursday, October 29, 2026, in New Britain Superior Court. The broadcast announcement supplied to Jaded Evidence lists Thursday morning opening statements. CT Insider — October 9 trial schedule and ruling.
Charges: First-degree manslaughter and delivery of alcohol to a minor. Cooper Anderson Ouellette has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. New Haven Register — charges and plea.
This case concerns the fatal injuries suffered by 17-year-old Sophie Grace Ringquist during a pickup-truck journey. Police allege criminal conduct by her boyfriend; the defense contests the prosecution’s reconstruction. The court has allowed disputed Life360 evidence to reach the jury.
02 | Sophie Grace Ringquist
Sophie was 17 and attended Lewis Mills High School. Her family remembered her energy and compassion, her work alongside her father and her plans to study construction management. She taught swimming and enjoyed time with friends. Law&Crime — background and family remembrance.
03 | People and original charges
- Sophie Grace Ringquist: victim, from Burlington.
- Cooper Anderson Ouellette: defendant, from Harwinton; charged with first-degree manslaughter and an alcohol-delivery offense.
- Connecticut State Police: investigating agency.
The criminal charges are distinct from a separate wrongful-death lawsuit. WFSB — arrest and charges · WFSB — civil proceedings.
04 | Interactive event-by-event timeline
View More — May 20–21, 2023 — Party, journey and fatal injuries
Police say the pair argued at a Terryville party before leaving together. Investigators allege Sophie was injured during the journey and later brought home. Her family took her to Bristol Hospital, where she died early May 21. WFSB — police account · Law&Crime — chronology.
View More — July 11–15, 2024 — Warrant, surrender and arraignment
WFSB reports a warrant was granted July 11. Ouellette surrendered the following day and was released on a $50,000 bond, with arraignment scheduled July 15. Read the arrest report and warrant.
View More — September 2024 — Civil lawsuit and not-guilty plea
Separate civil claims were filed by Sophie’s estate. Contemporary reporting records Ouellette’s not-guilty plea in the criminal case. New Haven Register — separate proceedings.
View More — October 8–9, 2026 — Life360 evidentiary hearing
A defense expert challenged the app-derived reconstruction. Judge Chris Pelosi subsequently allowed prosecutors to introduce Life360 data. October 8 expert testimony · October 9 admissibility ruling.
View More — October 29, 2026 — Scheduled trial evidence
The upcoming New Britain trial is scheduled to move into evidence Thursday. CT Insider — schedule.
05 | Investigation and evidence
View More — Original police allegations
Police allege Ouellette interfered with Sophie’s efforts to obtain another ride, and that video and messages recorded injuries during the journey. Investigators say the truck struck her. These assertions come from the warrant account and remain for the jury to assess. WFSB — warrant coverage.
View More — Digital evidence and reconstruction
Investigators used phone records, messages, surveillance footage and Life360 information to reconstruct events. The prosecution’s animation is a reconstruction rather than a recording of the entire incident. CT Insider — evidence and defense motion.
View More — Medical findings
Reporting attributes a homicide classification and fatal blunt-force torso injuries to the medical examiner. A medical classification does not itself determine a defendant’s criminal responsibility. WFSB — medical findings.
06 | Prosecution and defense
Prosecution: The state alleges Ouellette’s conduct caused Sophie’s fatal injuries and relies on the combined physical, witness and digital record.
Defense: Attorneys challenged Life360’s precision, unusual readings and a gap in the data. CT Insider — defense challenge.
The defense expert questioned whether the app reliably established speed and location. Prosecutors questioned the extent of his review of the underlying analysis. CT Insider — expert hearing.
07 | Courtroom developments
October 9: Judge Chris Pelosi permitted the Life360 data. Admissibility allows the jury to consider evidence; it does not establish that every inference from it is accurate. Read the ruling coverage.
Trial watch: Opening statements and testimony will be distinguished from admitted exhibits and the jury’s eventual findings.
08 | Verdicts, sentencing and appeals
As of October 23, 2026, this case is awaiting the scheduled trial evidence. No trial verdict or sentence is reported in the sources reviewed. Ouellette remains presumed innocent.
09 | Unresolved questions
- How accurately does the digital record establish the truck’s movements? The parties dispute reliability; cross-examination and exhibits will be central.
- What does each recording directly show? The original recordings must be distinguished from investigator interpretation and animation.
- What caused the fatal injuries, and when? Medical testimony and the sequence of events must be assessed together.
10 | Court records and sources
- Arrest warrant and affidavit — published copy hosted by DocumentCloud. Also available through WFSB’s warrant report. The allegations are not findings of guilt.
- Law&Crime — July 16, 2024 chronology and victim background.
- New Haven Register — September 4, 2024 plea and civil-case reporting.
- CT Insider — October 6, 2026 defense motion.
- CT Insider — October 8 expert testimony.
- CT Insider — October 9 ruling and October 29 trial setting.
- WFSB — separate wrongful-death lawsuit.
Source documents, police allegations, attorney arguments and courtroom findings are identified separately throughout this file.