The Lost and the Found

http://www.suncommunitynews.com/articles/the-sun/search-continues-for-1935-triple-murder-remains/

MAY 12, 2011

Search continues for 1935 triple-murder remains

MIDDLEBURY-Two Addison County women are continuing their self-financed search for clues about a trio of unsolved murders that occurred in East Middlebury in 1935. The women are jointly writing a book about Vermont's oldest, unsolved multiple murder.

On May 1, Roxanna Emilo of Middlebury and Kathy Brande of Bristol joined a team of searchers from Green Mountains Treasure Hunters, Inc. The firm is owned by Jack Dapsis from Bridport.

Dapsis used the technology of metal detection to locate missing metal objects or in our case to possibly unearth forensic evidence at the scene of the murders just north of the Middlebury State Airport.

"We also had a few family members, and friends come to help explore the gravesite of the three skeletons found at the base of the Green Mountains in 1935," Emil said. "The hope was to discover anything that might be related to that event."

In 1935, according to the women, three bodies presumed to be a mother and her two children were dumped on the road leading from the Case Street Road to the old Brookins-Blackmer Camp in the foothills four or five miles from downtown Middlebury.

"Each had been shot through th head and then dumped by the side of a lonely road leading from East Middlebury to Bristol," Emilo said. "It was a road not traveled much on even in 1935. Each had been shot through the head. The skull of the female retained a .38 caliber copper jacked bullet."

Both Emilo and Brande said other crime scene evidence included grommets, pulleys, a green and buff striped canvas awning, rope fragments, blanket, silk, pearl button, probable pillow feathers, and some hair.

"They were wrapped in the awning and dumped in a heap-covered with branches about 18 inches from the logging trail," Emilo said.

"In 1935, this was a very isolated spot. Now there are homes dotting the pavement that runs parallel to the logging trail as well as the VAST Snowmobile Trail which runs right beside the spot where the bodies were wrapped and dumped," according to Brande.

Further back in the wood was the old Brookins-Blackmer campsite.