Burlington, Vermont – Vermont State Police are grappling with a surge in homicides and suspicious deaths for the month of October, an issue that has stretched their resources to the limit. According to Major Daniel Trudeau, head of criminal investigations, this spike in cases is unprecedented in his over two decades with Vermont State Police. Detectives have been working tirelessly to handle the influx of overnight cases, with six homicides and one suspicious death occurring in Vermont during the month of October alone. This brings the total number of homicides in Vermont for 2023 to 20, which includes a fatal police shooting.
As of Monday, no arrests have been made in any of the October cases, and state police do not believe the cases are connected. To manage the high caseload, the Field Force Division troopers have been providing crucial support to the Criminal Division. Some troopers with the relevant experience have been reassigned to work on smaller crime investigations to assist with the workload, including untimely death investigations, low-scale robberies, and burglaries.
The most recent homicide case in Plainfield involved a man who was found in the woods with a fatal gunshot wound. Similarly, another Barre resident was found dead in the woods in Washington, with the cause of death pending a toxicology report. Autopsies also confirmed that two missing men from Massachusetts were found dead in a wooded area in Eden, with both deaths ruled as homicides.
Additional homicides include a shooting in Wheelock that resulted in the death of one man, as well as a shooting in Newport Town that claimed the life of a man from Hartford, Connecticut. Lastly, a retired dean of Vermont State University at Castleton was found shot to death on a rail trail in Castleton.
Trudeau emphasized the complexity of these investigations, which involve crime scene examination, interviews of witnesses and family, and the collection of digital evidence. State police are urging anyone with information to come forward and assist with the ongoing investigations.
In summary, the Vermont State Police are facing an unprecedented surge in homicides and suspicious deaths, with no arrests made in the October cases thus far. The department is working tirelessly to manage this high caseload and is urging the public to provide any tips or information that may aid in their investigations.