Page 5 - ATD10August2015
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Monday 10 August 2015
Police:
Vermont mom killed 3 relatives, then social worker
DAVE GRAM Jody Herring had obtained Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, at podium, and other officials brief
LISA RATHKE the gun legally. the media on the deaths of four people in Barre, Vt. Authorities
Associated Press The chief wouldn’t com- say Jody Herring shot and killed state social worker Lara Sobel,
BARRE, Vermont (AP) — A ment on what may have who had handled a case in which Herring’s 9-year-old daughter
woman who lost custody triggered Herring to act on had been removed from her home. On Saturday, the bodies of
of her 9-year-old daughter Friday — weeks after losing three of Herring’s relatives were found at the family home in
killed three relatives in a custody of her daughter. neighboring Berlin.
Vermont home and then Bombardier also would not
headed to a nearby state discuss the 9-year-old’s fa- (AP Photo/Dave Gram)
office to gun down the so- ther or his whereabouts.
cial worker involved in the Officials said after Sobel’s
custody case, authorities shooting that Herring’s
alleged. daughter remained in state
Police said 40-year-old custody.
Jody Herring shot social Herring is to be arraigned
worker Lara Sobel, 48, twice Monday afternoon on the
on Friday, killing her outside homicide charge. It wasn’t
an office of the state De- clear if she had a lawyer
partment for Children and who could comment on
Families in Barre as Sobel her behalf.
was leaving work. Herring At a news conference Sat-
was tackled outside the urday night, Vermont Gov.
building and arrested on Peter Shumlin assured state
a first-degree homicide workers and families that
charge. Herring’s arrest ended any
The next morning, an emer- threat to others and that
gency call brought officers the care of Vermont’s
to a Berlin home, where “most vulnerable children”
they found three relatives remains a priority.
of Herring dead. Police said “We know that the inci-
at least two of the women dents were horrific and
appeared to have been absolutely heartbreaking,”
shot. the governor said after re-
The Burlington Free Press turning early from a vaca-
reported that Tiffany Her- tion in Nova Scotia. “We
ring, 23, who identified also know and firmly be-
herself as the daughter of lieve that this was an isolat-
victim Rhonda Herring, said ed attack based upon the
her mother had received person we have in custody,
a threatening phone call who is the alleged perpe-
from Jody Herring Friday trator of these crimes.”
morning. Attorney General Bill Sor-
“My mother got a call in rell said much investigative
the morning, maybe 7:30 work remains to be done
or 8 o’clock, saying it was before he can say what, if
Jody Herring saying, ‘You any, additional charges will
guys need to stop calling be filed against Herring.
DCF unless you guys are Shumlin tentatively identi-
going to have it coming to fied Saturday’s victims as
you,” Tiffany Herring told Regina Herring and Rhon-
the newspaper. da Herring, the suspect’s
She said she discovered cousins; and Julianne Fal-
the women’s bodies. zarano, an aunt. The cous-
“Both doors were wide ins were in their 40s, and the
open, and I walked into aunt in her 70s; the three
the living room, and that’s were killed before Sobel’s
where I saw my mom life was taken, Shumlin said.
dead,” she said. “I think all Vermonters are
Barre Police Chief Tim Bom- as shocked, dismayed, hor-
bardier said Sunday he rified and grief-stricken as
doesn’t expect any more all of us are,” Shumlin said.
bodies will be found in rela- “I cannot remember, in my
tion to the case. lifetime, four people being
Bombardier said the weap- murdered by the same al-
on used to kill Sobel was a leged perpetrator.”
hunting rifle, but he would Lt. Gov. Phil Scott said he
not reveal additional de- knew several members
tails about it. He also would of the extended Herring
not comment on whether family.q
