By Michael Donoghue, Vermont News First

An award-winning now former Lamoille County deputy sheriff, who officials maintain helped cause a mistrial in a homicide case, has pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court in Hyde Park to three felony counts, including two counts of obstruction of justice.

Chris Turner, who served as a School Resource Officer for Lamoille North Supervisory Union in Hyde Park, also denied a count of false swearing.

The charges were secretly filed on April 30 by a Lamoille County grand jury and were put under seal for some unknown reason until Turner was arraigned on Tuesday afternoon.

Judge Justin Jiron agreed during the public arraignment that the three-count indictment could be unsealed.

Defense lawyer Leonard E. Milligan III said after the hearing that the fight is just starting.

“We intend to vigorously defend the allegations in the courtroom,” the Boston-based lawyer said.

“Meanwhile to be clear my client maintains his innocence and asks the community that he has served for many years and in many ways  to afford   him the time and grace needed to make the fight where it should be made – in the courtroom,” he said. 

The charges stem from whether Turner violated the constitutional rights of a man charged with second-degree murder in 2022.

Turner was working as a daily transport deputy during the homicide case of Seth Brunell, now 47, who was shuffled between the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield and the courthouse in Hyde Park in April 2025. Turner, who was with a Rutland County deputy sheriff, recorded Brunell during the ride, officials said.

Brunell, a transient, was charged with the fatal stabbing of Fern Feather, 29, a transgender woman from Hinesburg on April 12, 2022 at Morristown.  Brunell maintained he was defending himself from a sexual advance from Feather, state police said at the time.

The trial was interrupted and Lamoille County State’s Attorney Aliena J. Gerhard reached a deal with Brunell pleading to a lesser charge of manslaughter and not getting any further prison time.  He was placed on probation for 10 years.

Little is known by the public about the three specific charges because a grand jury was used by Gerhard to determine if Turner should be prosecuted.

While normal criminal prosecutions have a detailed police affidavit outlining the legal basis for the charge and statements from witnesses, there was nothing filed with the indictment.

A grand jury meets in private.  Only the decisions of the grand jurors are public.

Gerhard said she thought the charges were important for the community to decide and not leave it up to the police and prosecution.

It is unclear if the charges involve more than one case due to the dates of the incidents and only one mentions the homicide trial.

The two obstruction charges claim Turner “corruptly endeavored to obstruct or impede the due administration of justice.”

In one count it identified the Brunell trial between April 14, and April 16, 2005 as the event, but the second count only says the obstruction happened between April 2, 2024 and April 27, 2024.  It does not provide an event or which case.

The false swearing count says it happened between April 2, 2024 and April 27, 2024 in a matter that required an oath to be taken, but again does not say it is the Brunell prosecution.

Turner, who gave up a successful IT career to become a deputy sheriff in 2023, was initially suspended by Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux.  He eventually fired Turner in November 2025.

He received a Life Saving Award from the New England Medical Services, the community and the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department in March 2025.

Turner, 43, lives with his wife and 3 children in Johnson.

Gerhard asked that Turner be allowed out on conditions, initially asking for a ban on him posting to social media.

Jiron questioned the need, but Gerhard said there had been two posts about the case.

Vermont News First found the possible postings, which talked about the shock for Turner and his young family suddenly being “blindsided” on May 7 by authorities that he was being charged with three felonies.

Defense lawyer Leonard Milligan III questioned the limits of a sweeping restriction on Turner’s free speech rights, especially if he wanted to post that he denied the charges.

After some debate the court ordered Turner not to make any posts on social media which discuss facts of the case except to the extent the defendant can say he denies the allegations filed by the state. 

A community fund raising effort, through GiveSendGo, has generated $29,492 as of Tuesday afternoon toward an initial goal of $50,000.  It will be used to help with legal fees, including expert witnesses and other expenses.