Slaying of gifting table member stirred concern

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A defense attorney says the 2010 slaying of a participant in a "gifting table" may have slowed the progression of the group that federal prosecutors have described as an illegal investment scheme.

Authorities have not solved the murder of Barbara Hamburg, who was found dead in her yard in Madison.

The slaying came up in the fraud trial of two Guilford women who led the Women's Gifting Table, an alleged pyramid scheme.

The New Haven Register reports that attorney Norm Pattis said Wednesday that the slaying may have led members to wonder if it was connected to the table. A prosecutor said the incident caused some to question their involvement.

The tables have been described as groups of women who met weekly and gave $5,000 tax-free "gifts" to members.