Police have released a photo of the woman found dead on a Vermont rail trail on Thursday as they continue their investigation into her murder.
Vermont State Police identified the woman on Friday as 77-year-old Honoree Fleming. She was found shot to death on the rail trail in Castleton near 1660 South Street on Thursday afternoon.
State police initially announced they were investigating a suspicious death after they received a call around 4:30 p.m. Thursday about a dead woman on the rail trail near 1587 South Street in Castleton. When they arrived, they said they found Fleming dead at the scene.
An autopsy was completed Friday and determined Fleming's cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. Her manner of death was ruled a homicide.
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State police said their detectives have interviewed numerous witnesses and neighbors in the area of the murder and continue to gather surveillance footage.
Police say they are looking for a male person of interest in connection with Fleming's death. He is described as having short red hair, was about 5'10" tall and was last seen wearing a dark gray T-shirt and carrying a black backpack.
Fleming entered the rail trail around 4 p.m. on Thursday from the pavilion area at Castleton College, walking south. She was wearing a white and blue striped shirt, black pants and black sneakers.
Police said the suspect should be considered "armed and dangerous," and asked the public to remain alert and to contact them if they see anyone acting suspiciously.
They are also asking anyone who saw Fleming to contact them, and are asking the public and businesses in the Castleton area to review their surveillance systems for any signs of the suspect. The timeframe they are looking for spans from early afternoon into the evening hours on Oct. 5.
Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 802-773-9101. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
A Vermont State University spokesperson identified Fleming as a beloved member of the school community, saying they were deeply saddened to learn that the retired Dean of Education was killed on the rail trail just a mile from the Castleton campus.
"Honoree was a beloved dean and professor at Castleton and an impressive researcher with countless papers published. Faculty, staff, and students alike loved her," the spokesperson said. "Honoree was a true member of the Castleton family."
“Our hearts go out to the members of our community who taught with Honoree and had her as a beloved teacher during their time at Castleton. Our deepest sympathies go to her husband, Ron, family, and friends," Vermont State President Mike Smith said in a statement. "This is an unbelievable tragedy for the Castleton campus and for all of Vermont State University. Honoree will be deeply missed.”
Fleming lived in Castleton with her husband, Ron Powers, a Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author, school officials said.
Castleton, a town with around 4,500 residents, is located about 15 miles west of Rutland and about seven miles east of the New York/Vermont border.
