Two roommates were arrested after a man was reportedly shot and killed during a suspected drug dispute that ended with the victim’s body being dumped in the woods.
On Friday, Oct. 27, at approximately 4:30 p.m., hunters in Washington County discovered a body and contacted Vermont State Police. Troopers arrived at the scene and determined the male victim died “under suspicious circumstances.” The medical examiner conducted an autopsy two days later and identified the victim as 42-year-old Jeffrey Caron, who died from a gunshot wound.
Then, on Tuesday, Oct. 31, Vermont State Police troopers took 35-year-old Kyle Bressette into custody on suspicion of murder, and 51-year-old Chris Relation for accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.
According to Vermont State Police, Bressette and Caron allegedly got into a “dispute involving drugs” on Oc. 24 or Oct. 25. Relation allegedly helped Bressette after the killing and did not contact police about it.
Officials obtained warrants for their arrest and said Bressette refused to surrender for several hours. He had an additional warrant for his arrest on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated operation of a vehicle without owner’s consent, operating a vehicle with a suspended license, failure to use an ignition interlock device, and petit larceny.
According to the Barre Montpelier Times Argus, Caron’s body was reportedly burned, and surveillance footage from the area showed a fire around the time he was likely killed.
Vermont State Police Detective Sgt. Isaac Merriam reportedly wrote in the affidavit that Relation and Caron allegedly wanted to rob Bressette for drugs. Relation and Bressette were roommates, but Relation allegedly did not want to live with him anymore. Bressette and Relation went back to their home while Caron hid with a pipe. Bressette and Caron got into an altercation, which resulted in Bressette allegedly shooting Caron in the chest.
Following the shooting, Bressette allegedly took Caron’s body and disposed of it in the woods.
Merriam said in the affidavit Bressette denied ever knowing Caron. Relation allegedly sent Caron a Facebook message asking where he was, but Merriam wrote in the affidavit Relation knew Caron had been killed.
