The New London man accused of killing a man in Chaplin on May 1 was extradited from New Hampshire to Connecticut on Monday, state police said, and police released an arrest warrant affidavit that details an hourslong assault.

Matthew Candler, 46, of 21 Dell Ave., is charged at this time with first-degree assault. Candler was arraigned in Danielson Superior Court on Tuesday.

Candler is charged in the death of Jeffrey Rawson, 51, of Chaplin. Rawson's obituary described him as a "handyman and general fix-it-all guy" for local campgrounds and churches, lifelong Connecticut resident and high school all-star soccer player whose "love of fishing was only rivaled by his love of music — more specifically: the Grateful Dead."

Around 5:54 a.m. on May 1, a witness at 214 Miller Road in Chaplin called 911 to report that Rawson was assaulted inside the residence, according to an arrest warrant affidavit from state police Det. Waylon Kimball. A paramedic pronounced Rawson dead shortly thereafter.

The affidavit said the responding trooper found Rawson sitting on the living room floor, and that he appeared to have blunt-force trauma to his head. Investigating at the scene, Kimball observed pools of soaked blood on the living room floor, blood splatter on the walls and broken furniture.

Police interviewed three people who were in the residence hanging out with Candler and Rawson. They told police there were no issues at first, that everyone was having a good time together drinking and smoking weed.

The three of them fell asleep, awakened as the assault began. One said Candler assaulted Rawson continuously but sporadically between about midnight and 5 a.m. — by throwing a heavy lamp and parts of furniture he broke. Another said he saw Candler punching Rawson in the face and stomping on his head and neck, and he didn't know what the fight was about.

The affidavit said two people heard Candler say, "If anyone moves, I'll kill you all." The three were all in the same room as the assault began but then hid in other rooms.

Candler then fled the scene. Through social media posts that were shared hundreds of times, state police first gave a description of his vehicle — a light blue 1989 Ford F-350 with Minnesota license plate YBN8321 — and then identified Candler as a person of interest.

Candler was spotted in Maine later in the day. Around 8:48 a.m. the following day, he pulled into the rear parking lot of a cannabis cultivation company in Salisbury, Mass., police said. Video surveillance from the company showed Candler leaving his truck and walking north on Route 1 toward the New Hampshire border. Kimball seized the truck, taking it back to State Police Troop D in Danielson.

The next day, May 3, police in Seabrook, N.H., got a tip from a cab driver that he dropped off someone at a nearby hotel who matched Candler's description, which he had seen on media outlets.

The affidavit said Seabrook police set up surveillance at the Seabrook Inn Motel. Around 1 p.m. on May 3, Candler exited the front entrance of the motel and commented to waiting police, "Just kill me." He was taken into custody on an arrest warrant out of Connecticut.

e.moser@theday.com