Bones found in backyard burn pit

Girlfriend charged with obstruction, accessory after murder

By Michael Donoghue,Vermont News First

BURLINGTON — The prime suspect in the mysterious disappearance of his friend in Bradford admitted he fatally shot the man in January and police now have found bones outside the suspect’s home in a burn pit, according to newly filed papers in U.S. District Court.

Charges of second-degree murder are expected soon against James D. Nickles Jr., 42, of Bradford, Orange County State’s Attorney Colin Seaman said Thursday afternoon.

The comments came after the suspect’s girlfriend, Lisa Akey, 41, of Bradford pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court in Chelsea to four criminal charges, including obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact in the second-degree murder of Corey Crooker, 43, of Bradford.

The January killing may have been sparked by Nickles learning Akey had an affair with Crooker 3 or 4 weeks earlier, Vermont State Police Detective Sgt. Isaac Merriam said in a 27-page affidavit outlining the four charges against the woman.

Detective Sgt. Lyle Decker spoke to a confidential informant (CI) that said he learned “Nickles shot Crooker with 2 shots to the head and a shotgun blast to the chest. The CI said they burned the body and decapitated Crooker’s head,” Merriam wrote.

Nickles and Akey would not allow anybody into their house starting about Jan. 14 and it lasted for about a week, according to the informant.

Bradford Police Sgt. David Shaffer reported Keith Ingalls on Jan. 27 said Akey asked him to come to her house, and she indicated that Nickles had shot Crooker with a .40-caliber handgun at the residence, Merriam wrote. Ingalls, who said he had an earlier 6-year relationship with Akey, believed the shooting had happened just hours before he arrived, Shaffer reported.

The investigation indicated the body had been burned for three days and the fire was fueled with wood and gasoline, Merriam said. He said reports also indicated Crooker had come to the house because he was “dope sick” and wanted help.

The federal government initially disclosed the homicide confession and more in a court motion quietly filed last Friday to try to keep Nickles behind bars while the criminal investigation continues.

Nickles, a three-time convicted felon, is the prime suspect in the grisly death of Crooker, authorities have said.

Vermont News First reported in March about reports circulating in the community that Crooker was shot and set on fire at 660 Old Post Road in Bradford. His remains were either scattered or disposed of by one or more suspects, reports indicated.

Meanwhile, Vermont State Police arrested Akey about 10 a.m. Thursday at the Old Post Road home that she had been sharing with Nickles until his arrest Feb. 4 on federal gun charges.

She was eventually transported to Vermont Superior Court in Chelsea for an eight-minute arraignment in mid-afternoon.

Besides the obstruction and accessory charges, Akey denied a felony charge of unauthorized removal of a body without a permit and a misdemeanor count of false information to state police.

Seaman charged Akey with being an accessory by assisting Nickles in the removing and burning of the body of Crooker between Jan. 14 and Jan. 19. Seaman also charged Akey with removing Crooker’s body from her residence and burning it without a state permit.

The obstruction charge is based on Akey trying to deflect the investigation by telling a confidential informant in March that she knew he had been to the state police more than five times “when I told you not too and say nothing.”

The false information to state police charge stems from Akey telling investigators on Feb. 4 that Crooker had been picked up from the residence by an unknown woman in an SUV in January, court records show.

Akey faces up to 18 years in prison, if convicted on all counts, Seaman told the court.

He noted Akey’s 17 convictions in Vermont and five in New Hampshire may make her a serious risk to flee.

Akey said nothing in court as her defense lawyer Christopher Dall of Norwich entered not guilty pleas to the four charges.

Dall maintained there was no information that his client would not show for court. He said her two failures to appear were back in 2020 and 2022 and she is not a safety risk.

Judge Daniel P. Richardson agreed with a request by Seaman for $25,000 bail and strict conditions, including staying away from and having no contact with several potential witnesses and family members. They include Salwa Crooker, Diane and Thomas Cobb, Alisha Wedge and Nickles, he said.

The court had said initially the arraignment would not be available for the general public to watch through WebEx, but Judge Richardson approved an appeal from both Vermont News First and NBC5 for access.

Meanwhile, no probable cause had been found by a judge for any homicide charges against Nickles in the Crooker case as of Thursday afternoon, a court spokesperson said.

Vermont News First was the first news outlet to report the arrest of Akey and the confession by Nickles in the federal court papers.

The Crooker death marks at least the ninth reported homicide in Vermont in 2025.

Nickles is due to appear Monday before Federal Magistrate Judge Kevin Doyle in Burlington for the defense motion to consider releasing him for drug treatment.

“Defendant James Nickles confessed to killing a man at his Bradford residence on or about Jan. 14, 2025, using a .40-caliber Taurus Tactical handgun,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt said in a new motion opposing the defendant’s release.

Ophardt attempted to mask the name of the dead man by calling him “Person One” in court papers, but most details in his motion match news releases issued as state and Bradford Police searched for Crooker earlier this year.

“Nickles has a substantial incentive to flee due to the high likelihood he will face serious criminal charges in Vermont Superior Court related to the homicide of Person One,” Ophardt wrote.

Chief Federal Defender Michael Desautels filed a motion seeking Nickles’ release by noting he has been screened and is eligible for admission at Serenity House’s substance abuse treatment program in Wallingford. He would return to his home in Bradford after completing the program, Desautels proposed.

U.S. Probation Officer Ethan Clifford has indicated he supports the release plan, Desautels wrote.

Ophardt said Nickles returning home would be a problem because that is where he has long done his drug dealing.

Merriam, who is part of the VSP Major Crime Unit, said in federal court papers earlier this year that investigators were conducting a sweeping investigation regarding possible criminal charges for homicide, assault and robbery, aggravated assault, accessory in aiding in the commission of a felony and for persons prohibited from possessing firearms.

“Specifically, this investigation concerns the suspicious disappearance of Corey Crooker,” Merriam wrote in his affidavit.

Merriam did not elaborate about the evidence.

During a court-ordered search of Nickles’ home on Feb. 4, investigators found two guns, including the possible homicide weapon, suspected bones and bone fragments in an exterior burn pile and a missing person flier for Crooker on the dresser in the master bedroom of the home, Ophardt wrote last Friday.

There also was a sign that said, “No Trespassing, we’re tired of hiding the bodies,” in the master bedroom, police reported.

Two cell phones belonging to Nickles and his girlfriend were seized during the raid, Ophardt said. An incriminating text thread between the two was uncovered by investigators, records show.

“U killed my best friend you worthless [expletive]” is said on one phone.

“I don’t know what your (sic) talking about,” is the response on Nickles’ phone.

“I have you recorded u idiot,” is the response and notes it is on a Ring camera.

State police obtained data from Ring, including footage for Nickles’ live-in girlfriend, identified in other court papers as Akey.

Some clips depict Nickles holding a firearm, others show possible drug trafficking and others depict suspected drug use occurring in the residence, Ophardt said.

One clip recorded on Jan. 18 has a heated exchange between Nickles and Akey. Nickles calls Akey an unflattering name and she responds, “You killed (Person One’s First name) [expletive].”

Nickles repeats the bad name calling. Akey responded “You killed (Person One’s First name) [expletive], records show.

Ophardt said Nickles needs to stay in prison for all concerned.

“Because there are no conditions of release that will reasonably assure the appearance of Nickles as required, nor conditions of release that will reasonably assure the safety of the community, Nickles’ motion for reconsideration of detention should be denied,” he wrote.

Nickles has pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Burlington to two federal felony gun charges.

He denied possessing a 12-gauge Remington Supermag shotgun and a .40-caliber Taurus Tactical handgun on Feb. 4 while being a convicted felon.

Nickles also pleaded not guilty to a charge of illegal possession of the two firearms on the same day while being an unlawful user of controlled substances.

Nickles has been detained since his arrest on Feb. 4.

The last known communication with Crooker was on Jan. 14, according to VSP Trooper Adam Aremburg. While Crooker had no known fixed address, he frequented Newbury, Wells River and Haverhill.

Judge Richardson, who is assigned to Vermont Superior Court in Chelsea, approved a search warrant for the Nickles home at 660 Old Post Road in Bradford on Thursday, Jan. 30, but for some unknown reason state police took no action for six days.

The search warrant documents, including an affidavit by Detective Sgt. James Vooris outlining the criminal investigation, have been under seal at the courthouse in Chelsea.

Attempts by Vermont News First to get the court papers released have been unsuccessful.

Police were required to provide copies of the search warrant and supporting affidavit to Nickles and Akey, who share the residence. The state search warrant is mentioned throughout the federal court papers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Owyang told the court in March there was significant evidence in the gun case to review, including law enforcement reports, a criminal history, the state search warrant and the seized firearms and ammunition.

Nickles has admitted having three cocaine trafficking convictions dating back to 2011, records show.

Nickles said he and Akey were active drug users when Merriam and Detective Sgt. Seth Richardson also of the Major Crime Unit interviewed him, records show. Nickles said he uses crack cocaine, and his drug use was the worst in his lifetime, Merriam said.

The Vermont Crime Scene Search Team found the two guns in the bedroom Nickles and Akey shared, police said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed those firearms had crossed state lines.

Local residents have said they saw the search team at the residence for four or five days looking for clues. Investigators have returned to the search scene a few more times since Feb. 4.

Initial reports in January indicated Crooker’s disappearance was not suspicious, police said. However, as days went on and more concerns were raised, police said the disappearance might be criminal in nature.

State police had reported on Jan. 18 that troopers were asked to do a welfare check for Crooker. He had no known fixed address in Bradford, but a family member had seen him on Jan. 9, police said.

When state police executed the search warrant on Feb. 4, they said they also found Cody Powell, 39, at the house with Nickles and Akey.

State police said Akey told investigators she had been using illegal drugs for the past four or five years and that she uses “down” — a slang term used for opiates like fentanyl and heroin, Merriam said.

Akey claimed she last saw Crooker at her residence on an undisclosed date and provided him with a jacket because it was cold and he did not have one, court records note.

When asked if Crooker had shown up to get drugs, Akey maintained she did not sell any to him, but gave him a piece of tinfoil to take the edge off, Merriam wrote.

Akey maintained Crooker was picked up from her Old Post Road residence by an unknown woman in a dark-colored SUV, police said. That is the basis for the false information to police charge.

Akey eventually stopped answering questions without a lawyer present and left the state police office in Bradford, Merriam said.

VSP said they also found Stephanie Duarte, 33, sitting in a vehicle at the bottom of the driveway when they arrived for the raid.

Powell reported the two of them had arrived about 20 minutes before the raid and that he had bought fentanyl from Nickles and Akey a couple times a week for the previous two months, Merriam said.

Duarte told investigators that she primarily buys fentanyl and cocaine from Akey, but has bought drugs from Nickles in the past, court records show. Duarte said she buys drugs from either Akey or Nickles depending on who answers the “window,” Merriam wrote.

Seaman, the Orange County prosecutor, had charged Nickles earlier with knowingly and unlawfully possessing both methamphetamine and cocaine on Dec. 29 in Bradford.

Bradford Police Sgt. David Shaffer wrote in a court affidavit that he found the two drugs as part of a search warrant approved by Judge Elizabeth Mann for a car following a late-night traffic stop on South Main Street.

Shaffer said Nickles was in a white Ford Escape that had been seen the night before at specific residences on North Pleasant Street and South Pleasant, both known for drug trafficking.

VSP Trooper Crista Maurice and her drug-trained K-9 companion Borys responded to the traffic stop and the German Shepherd alerted on the car after an exterior sniff, police said.

The meth charge is a felony and punishable by up to five years in prison and a $100,000 fine, while the cocaine count is a misdemeanor and punishable by up to one year in prison and a $2,000 fine.