State Police ID Deceased Johnston Man

Rhode Island State Police Capt. Michael Winquist confirmed this afternoon that the State Medical Examiner's office is investigating the death of Robert Rossi, 70, of 204 Greenville Ave., Johnston, which police learned about after a Woonsocket woman was found driving his car.

According to a statement released by Winquist just after 4 pm today, "there were no apparent signs of foul play" when officers went to Rossi's apartment on Apr. 18 after the woman, identified as Dawn Utting, 45, of 75 Union St., Apt. 1R, Woonsocket, told police Rossi had died earlier that day.

Utting had been involved in a one-car accident on Rte. 44 in Smithfield just before noon on Wednesday while driving Rossi's car; Winquist reported that Utting "indicated that she was upset because her friend died" about 12 hours earlier.

Police reports indicate that Utting told officers she had found Rossi "unresponsive and lying on the bathroom floor" when she woke up at 4 am, and that Utting spent several hours in the apartment after finding Rossi's body before taking his car, a green 2000 Honda Accord, and heading back to her home in Woonsocket.

Winquist also stated that Utting remains held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston until a scheduled pre-trial hearing on Apr. 26 following her arraignment in Third District Court, Warwick, before Mark A. Pfeiffer.

Utting faces one count each of failure to report a death, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. At the time of the accident, she was serving six months' probation for a previous domestic disorderly conduct charge brought by Woonsocket Police.