Vermont police launch manhunt for suspect after retired university dean found dead

Christopher Cann, USA TODAY
Updated ·4 min read
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An “armed and dangerous” suspect remains at large in Vermont after a woman's body was discovered on a popular trail Thursday afternoon, prompting a large manhunt, urgent warnings to residents and the closure of Vermont State University's Castleton campus.

The woman was identified as a retired dean at the university, killed from gunshots on what her husband said was her favorite trail near the campus.

A passerby came upon the woman's body along the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail in Castletown, about 30 miles south of Middlebury, and reported it to police, who arrived at the scene around 4:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Vermont State Police.

A witness in the area told investigators they heard gunshots and saw a possible suspect walking toward the Vermont State University Castleton campus, less than a mile north of where the incident occurred.

In this July 9, 2015 photo, people walk across the campus at Castleton State College, now called, Castleton University, in Castleton, Vt. Castleton became part of the new Vermont State University on July 1, 2023.
In this July 9, 2015 photo, people walk across the campus at Castleton State College, now called, Castleton University, in Castleton, Vt. Castleton became part of the new Vermont State University on July 1, 2023.

University president says 'deeply unsettling,' victim a retired dean and professor

The university issued a shelter-in-place warning Thursday evening, according to the university's website. The campus canceled all events for Friday and extended the shelter-in-place warning, citing the "ongoing investigation."

"We ask all employees and students not to travel to the Castleton Campus for any reason," read a statement by Michael Smith, the interim president of Vermont State University, adding: "This situation is deeply unsettling."

Authorities identified the victim as Honoree Fleming, 77, of Castleton, Vermont. An autopsy determined the cause of her death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was a homicide, Castleton police said Friday evening.

On Friday evening, Vermont State University Castleton campus confirmed Fleming was a retired dean of education at the university. She previously worked as a faculty member at Trinity College, Middlebury College and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Fleming lived in Castleton with her husband Ron Powers, a Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times-bestselling author.

'She was beautifully named,' husband writes

In a Facebook post, Powers said his wife was walking along her favorite trail near the college when she was killed.

"There is an area-wide dragnet out for her killer," he wrote. "Police believe that it was random, but all possibilities remain open."

Powers added he was with his son, Dean.

"Those of you who knew her know that she was beautifully named," he wrote about Fleming. "I have never known a more sterling heart and soul than hers. She has taken far more than half my own heart and soul with her."

In 2017, Powers wrote "No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America" about his two sons with schizophrenia. One of his sons, Kevin, died in 2005.

Vermont State Police: 'We need a good first clue'

At a news conference Friday, Vermont State Police Maj. Daniel Trudeau described the suspect as a white male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, with short dark-colored hair. The man was last seen wearing a dark T-shirt and carrying a black backpack, he said.

Trudeau said police do not have a name or any more information about the suspect other than the descriptions provided by witnesses.

"We need a good first clue," he said before calling on residents to provide relevant tips and surveillance footage.

A statement from Vermont State Police described the suspect as "armed and dangerous."

In this July 9, 2015 photo, members of the Vermont Geographic Alliance walk across campus at Castleton State College in Castleton, Vt., where they are attending a summer institute. The college seeks to change its name to Castleton University to reflect its growth in graduate programs and to attract more out-of-state and foreign students. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Investigators canvass nearby Castleton homes in manhunt

Police began canvassing houses in the area around where the woman was found Thursday night and continued into Friday afternoon. Residents have been urged to keep the doors of their cars and homes locked and to stay aware of their surroundings.

"As the search continues for a suspect, please make phone calls to friends and family in the area to check in on them," the town of Castleton said in a Facebook post. "If going into buildings or outbuildings that are not/have not been locked, use the buddy system, meaning have another person with you, and have a cell phone with you whenever possible."

Police cordoned off the street near where the woman was found and closed the trail.

The investigation is being headed by the Vermont State Police's major crime unit in conjunction with the Castleton Police Department.

The Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail is a 19.8-mile section of former railroad that cuts through through scenic countryside with vistas of the nearby hills, villages, farms, fields and forests, according to its website. It's a multiple-use trail open to pedestrians, bicyclists, and horseback riders in the summer, and snowshoers, skiers and snowmobiles in the winter.

Eduardo Cuevas of USA TODAY contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vermont police launch manhunt after retired university dean found dead on trail