NORTH HERO – The lawyer for a St. Albans woman charged with killing one motorcyclist and critically injuring another in a Father’s Day crash last year in North Hero wants the criminal charges dismissed or the jury trial moved out of Grand Isle County.

Ellen E. Willson, 39, of Federal Street has pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court in North Hero to charges of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of gross negligent operation: one with death resulting and one with serious bodily injury, all from the June 15, 2025 crash.

Willson, formerly of Alburgh, also has denied a new charge of obstruction of justice by refusing a court order to provide the passcode to her cellphone as part of the state police investigation.

Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito has filed written rebuttals asking the presiding judge to reject both defense motions as groundless.

Hunter Rounds, 20, of Grand Isle was killed in a head-on crash when Willson’s southbound 2019 Chevrolet Silverado crossed the double yellow line on U.S. 2 in North Hero near Savage Point Road about 1:45 p.m., Vermont State Police has said.

Rounds, who died at the scene, was a life-long resident of the Champlain Islands. He attended the Grand Isle School and later graduated from Colchester High School, where he played soccer.

Willson also struck the victim’s father, Jason Rounds, 51, of Grand Isle, who was on a second motorcycle, state police said. He was seriously injured in the crash and taken to the UVM Medical Center in Burlington with multiple injuries. Rounds underwent several surgeries and was eventually discharged, officials said.

Defense lawyer Richard McCormick filed a one-page motion to dismiss because he says he believes the state does not have admissible evidence to prove its charges at trial.

McCormick wrote he believes the government will be unable to show Willson engaged or acted “grossly negligent” for the two reckless driving charges or in a “criminally negligent” manner for the involuntary manslaughter count.

McCormick did not elaborate on why he thinks the evidence is lacking.

DiSabito wrote he intends to rely on police affidavits, witness depositions, sworn testimony and other admissible evidence to prove the case. In particular DiSabito said in his five-page rebuttal, he plans to use two eyewitnesses and the criminal investigation by State Troopers Seth Boudreau and Jordan Peterson to prove the case.

After the crash, Trooper Peterson reported he indicated he wanted to seize Willson’s cellphone, but allowed her to retrieve a phone number, DiSabito said.

Peterson said he noticed Willson appeared to open the “messages” app on her iPhone, scroll down and delete a message, records show. At the risk of Willson deleting other potential evidence from the device, Peterson said he seized it, DiSabito wrote.

DiSabito wrote in his response that the evidence of Willson speeding up and slowing down before the crash, completely crossing the center line “and the evidence of her deleting a text message from her phone (inferring she was texting and driving), all involve a gross deviation from the requisite standard of care.”

It was during the follow-up investigation that members of the public came forward and reported to Vermont State Police they thought Willson was impaired shortly before the crash, court records show. A brand new certified Drug Recognition Expert, who has since lost his police job, initially thought she was not impaired when checking at a Burlington hospital, but after speaking with a DRE supervisor, changed his opinion, police said. By that time, Willson had been released from state police custody in St. Albans.

In a separate motion, McCormick also told the court that he believes Willson would be unable to get a fair and impartial trial in Grand Isle County due what he said was current prejudice.

McCormick did not elaborate nor did he suggest an alternative site.

There has been considerable interest in the criminal case. There have often been about 3 to 4 dozen members of the public attending the court hearings. Signs seeking “Justice For Hunter” also have sprung up in the community.

Willson also has done her part to help generate additional publicity for her case. She refused to follow a court order to turn over the passcode to the cellphone she was using at the crash site, leading to a public legal fight.

McCormick maintained Willson claimed the phone did not belong to her and she had no idea the passcode.

DiSabito has presented evidence and Judge Navah Spero watched the Vermont State Police audio and video of Willson at the crash site using the phone and claiming she needed it to reach her mother and to have access to her numbers.

After multiple hearings about the phone, Judge Sperro held Willson in contempt of court for her ongoing refusal to turn over the correct passcode. Spero ordered Willson jailed until she could provide the correct passcode. By coincidence or otherwise, Willson suddenly provided the missing number, and she was released after about 5 hours in custody when one of the numbers worked.

She had been providing a series of four-digit combinations, but once she was told she was going to jail, Willson provided at least one six-digit combination that worked.

“She has obstructed every step of the way,” DiSabito said at a recent hearing after McCormick tried to argue there was not enough probable cause to file the new charge.

“We don’t believe her,” DiSabito said.

Judge Spero said she agreed with the state.

DiSabito, in his latest filing, said the defense has to prove Willson can’t get a fair trial in Grand Isle County.

“The defense has offered no evidence or proffers in support of its motion. The State submits that the defendant bears the burden of demonstrating that so great a prejudice exists sufficient to warrant a change of venue,” DiSabito said in his 3-page response.

“The defense has provided nothing,” DiSabito said.