Students sad about teachers death

WILTON, Conn. (WTNH) -- While 63 year-old Robert Bell faces a judge, charged with manslaughter, parents prepare for a heart to heart with their child about what happened inside the Bell's New Fairfield home Saturday night.

"She said that Mrs. Bell had an incident at her house," student Erin Cromwell said.

Cromwell said that's how her class learned the sad news that the school music teacher is dead.

"You knew before she went to school this morning," News 8's Erin Logan asked Cromwell's mom.

"I did, I hadn't said anything last night. I wanted to let the school present it the way they wanted to," Julie Cromwell said.

"You were happy with the way they did things," News 8's Logan asked.

"Yep," Julie Cromwell said.

Cromwell says there's no way to explain this story to a child. Police say 47-year-old Svetlana Bell was shot by her husband at least four times around 7 o'clock Saturday night.

Court documents say Bell told police he shot his wife because she was coming towards him with a knife.

Bell called 911 saying he needed an ambulance. The couple's daughter, a teenager, tried performing CPR on the kitchen floor when they arrived.

Svetlana Bell later died at the hospital.

Bell is not allowed to go anywhere near, or contact his daughter. News 8 is told she's a senior at New Fairfield High School.

The Cider Mill students and parents can't imagine the pain she's going through.

"Just count our blessings, how lucky, how lucky we are," Julie Cromwell said. 

"I was really sad, she was so nice," student Claire Kadzierski said.

They want everyone to know how great their teacher was.

"If you need a lot of help you can just ask her and she would always say yes," Kadzierski said.