Soap Lift Co-Founder William Karales Murdered His Wife Jo Ann in Connecticut Murder-Suicide

 

Soap Lift Co-Founder William Karales Killed His Wife Before Taking His Own Life in Connecticut

On October 2, 2026, William Karales, 71, shot and killed his wife, Jo Ann Karales, 66, inside their home in Woodbridge, Connecticut, before dying by suicide.

The couple was discovered after an employee of Karales's company, Soap Lift, became concerned when they failed to show up for work and couldn't be reached.

Police conducted a welfare check and entered the home through a rear window.

Inside, they found both William and Jo Ann dead.

The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Jo Ann's death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the neck.

William's death was ruled a suicide from a gunshot wound to the head.

Karales was a businessman who co-founded Soap Lift, a company that manufactured products designed to keep bar soap dry. What began as a small operation in a Long Island garage eventually grew into an international business.

He was also recognized for creating a partnership with the Amity Transition Academy, a program helping students with intellectual disabilities prepare for employment.

Students participating in the program worked at his company and received the same pay as other employees.

But professional accomplishments and community involvement don't erase what happened inside that house.

Jo Ann Karales was 66 years old. Her husband killed her.

Authorities have not publicly established a motive, and because William died, there will be no criminal trial.

He built a successful business. He helped people find employment. He earned recognition in his community.

And he murdered his wife.

A man's reputation is not a measure of how safely the woman beside him gets to live.