Police have no suspects yet in the killing of a retired Castleton University Dean of Education while she was walking along a rail trail about a mile from the campus last week.
Vermont State Police investigators say witnesses heard gunshots before police found the body of 77-year-old Honoree Fleming. An autopsy determined she had been shot in the head. Police are looing for a white male with short red hair, about 5-foot-10 inches tall.
On Monday afternoon Vermont State Police Criminal Division Commander Major Dan Trudeau said investigators are still looking for evidence or anything noteworthy.
“So far we do not have a suspect but you know we are piecing together what is helpful that we’ve gotten for tips. The tips have kind of been all over the map. Some possible sightings. Some possible names and those are things that we’ve looked into throughout the past few days. Mostly in this area. Nothing has led us for the most part out of Castleton really.”
Police are advising people to be vigilant. Castleton Police Chief Peter Mantello said be aware your surroundings.
“We don’t know how long this case is going to last, how long it’s going to tale to solve it. So we want people to be vigilant. We don’t want them to have fear grip them so they can’t move or go to work or anything. And I totally understand it. So basically be diligent. Lock your cars. Lock your doors. The days of 1975 are gone. There’s no community immune to anything that’s going on in this country at this point. So just to be smart. If you go anywhere pair up. But the biggest thing is be observant. And what’s frustrating for police and the investigators and everybody involved with this is we don’t have a suspect. We don’t have a motive.”
Castleton Selectboard Vice Chair Richard Combs says the atmosphere in the town is generally apprehensive and officials are offering safety advice and reassurance to area residents.
“Our police and Vermont State Police have gone door to door in the village and downtown area to see A: if anyone has any information that would help and B: to make sure everyone knows that they need to keep their doors locked, cars locked. If they go out at night to outbuildings or sheds to use the buddy system. And also if they’re on the rail trail to use the buddy system as well. Whoever perpetrated this horrible crime has not been identified or apprehended yet. And so do we know if that person is still around Castleton or have they left for someplace else? We honestly don’t know that.”
Police say Fleming entered the rail trail Thursday at about 4 p.m. from the pavilion area at Castleton University heading south. Students returned from a break over the weekend and the college cancelled classes and activities Monday. Student Government Association President Perry Ragouzis, a Political Science major, says it was a chance to recognize the tragedy.
“We had numerous events and programs that were supposed to happen on campus that did get cancelled and instead we had therapy dogs on campus in the morning. There was a community gathering where a lot of townsfolk met with our faculty and staff and students and we all came together to celebrate Honoree’s life and mourn her death. It’s a tragic loss for our community but we really did come together in a very beautiful way and are now working together to really begin healing as a community.”
Ragouzis says students are “healthily aware” of what happened and are receiving safety advisories through the university.
“Our community has lost a really, really bright and great light. Honoree was known for being an incredibly passionate and positive individual and she has a legacy on this campus that is going to be long enduring. But this sort of tragic event is going to also be something that I think a lot of us are going to always remember.”
Police are enhancing patrols on the Castleton campus. Ragouzis says their presence is subtle.
