Ex-boyfriend sought in Harvard woman’s death shot and killed by police

The ex-boyfriend of a Harvard woman found dead in Vermont was shot and killed by police in Vermont on Tuesday night, authorities said.

Massachusetts State Police said Fitchburg native Matthew Davis, a person of interest in the death of 23-year-old Mary Anderson, was shot during a confrontation with police.

Vermont State Police said that confrontation happened when police tried to question Davis in West Brattleboro in a wooded area between Bonnyvale Road and South Street around 7:45 p.m.

In a statement, Vermont State Police said, “Two troopers and a Brattleboro police officer fired their weapons in the course of the encounter with Davis, who was armed with a knife.”

Investigators working to track down Anderson located her body in a truck in Brattleboro on Tuesday morning, according to Vermont State Police. The vehicle had been sought in connection with her disappearance.

Police had been searching for Davis for questioning in connection with the death investigation.

Davis also had connections to the area of Pittsfield. He was described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anderson’s family told Boston 25 News that she had been hanging out with friends in Hudson, N.H. She was last seen on Saturday night around 10:30 p.m. Her family added that they suspected foul play in her disappearance.

“She’s never been away. This is very much unlike her,” Mary’s mother, Sheila Anderson, said Monday.

The state troopers involved in the shooting of Davis will be placed on paid administrative leave for a minimum of five days, Vermont State Police noted.

Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester District Attorney’s Office are assisting Vermont State Police with the investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW