Investigators spent Monday searching Vermont's Northeast Kingdom for Ryan Bacon, 30, who is suspected of shooting and killing a man in Greensboro Sunday night following a fight. Lou Ron Schneider, 68, died at a nearby hospital, police said.
Sources in Greensboro and Hardwick told necn that Bacon's mother is the longtime girlfriend of Schneider, though Vermont State Police said they were still working with distraught family members to pin down details of the men's relationship and how long they've known each other.
Schneider, the owner of the home where the shooting took place, kicked Bacon off the property following a dispute, according to witnesses' statements to police. The witnesses told investigators Bacon returned shortly thereafter with a rifle and confronted Schneider on the porch of the residence, where he was standing.
Law enforcement searched for Ryan Bacon with patrols from several agencies on the ground and with the help of a helicopter overhead. Witnesses told detectives Bacon left with the rifle in a dark-colored GMC pickup with Vermont plates 225A207.
According to Vermont State Police, the truck was located Monday night in a wooded area on Stannard Mountain Road in Stannard.
Police said Ryan Bacon is still at large and is considered to be armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees him is urged to call 911.
"Please do not approach him," said Capt. J.P. Sinclair of the Vermont State Police. "Just call us and we'll deal with it."
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"We're making calls out to surrounding states around us, we've closed the loop with our partners with Border Patrol to keep an eye on the border; train stations, bus stations, airlines, all those kinds of things," Sinclair said, listing areas where investigators have expanded their search for Bacon.
"There's no place you can feel 100 percent safe," said Larry Hamel, who told necn he lives near the home where Schneider was shot. "Things happen. They don't happen very often around here, but they do happen. And now we've got a murderer on the loose somewhere, starting out within a mile of my house, which is disconcerting."
Rick Walsh, who lives down the road from the Schneider property, said he was unaware of any bad blood between the men. He said both always seemed friendly toward him, noting both would wave when they'd drive past, and recalling Schneider recently offered Walsh a ride.
"It's a tragedy. A family tragedy," Walsh said.
Walsh added there must've been "family issues" he was unaware of.
The details of what led up to the shooting are still under investigation, Sinclair said.
