Eric Stephens (left), Righley Jones, and two men sought by Burlington Police Department.

by Guy Page

Two people are dead following what police say was a domestic dispute Sunday morning, July 7 at a Cottage Street, St. Johnsbury home. 

At about 5:50 a.m. St. Johnsbury police received a report involving an altercation that had occurred inside a home on Cottage Street. Responding officers located one man deceased and several others with apparent injuries. The injured individuals were transported to area hospitals for treatment. One man later died while undergoing treatment for critical injuries at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. 

The identities of the deceased will be released following autopsies and notification of next of kin. All those involved with this incident are local to the St. Johnsbury area. No one is in custody. Evidence collected so far in this investigation indicates this incident was the result of domestic violence, State police say. Anyone with information is asked to contact VSP at 802-748-3111.

Cited for voice message death threat – A Graniteville man with a history of arrests for violent acts was cited to appear in court after police say he threatened to kill someone in a voice message, Berlin police say. 

On July 4, officers from the Berlin Police Department were called to the Big Lots store in Barre for the report of a male threatening to kill an employee via voice messages on Facebook. As a result, Righley Jones, 23, was issued a citation to appear in court July 8 at 12:30 pm.

In June of 2022, Jones was charged with aggravated assault after pointing a gun at a 58-year-old man at his Williamstown home. In November 2021, Jones was arrested for allegedly stabbing a car at a Hardwick car dealership and threatening two people with a knife. On Jan. 17 of 2021 he was charged with grand larceny after he allegedly took an unregistered vehicle from a Houston Hill Road residence he was staying at, and drove it to Woodchuck Hollow Road in Washington.

Burlington bar assault – The Burlington Police Department is actively investigating an assault that occurred at a downtown bar on the evening of May 3. Investigation has identified a white male with blonde hair, wearing a gray “YETI” t-shirt and red shorts and a male wearing blue shorts and a darker t-shirt as persons of interest in this case. These individuals were last seen leaving the area of Church and Main Streets traveling north just before midnight. If you have information please contact Det. Cpl. Zachary Beal at (802) 540-2364.

$100,000 bail for coke possession, habitual criminal charge – At 1:30 AM July 8, state troopers stopped a vehicle on Columbian Ave in Rutland for an observed violation. Operator Eric Stephens, 58, of Rutland was found to have a criminally suspended license and was taken into custody without incident. 

During the stop indicators of drug activity were also observed, state police say. Troopers obtained consent to search the vehicle and found a felony amount of cocaine. Stephens has court-ordered conditions of release not to possess regulated drugs, police say.  Charged with possession of cocaine, DLS, Violation of Conditions of Release, and being a habitual criminal, Stephens was jailed on $100,000 bail.

Teen dies in dirt bike crash – At 2 pm on July 4, an Athens VT resident reported locating an unresponsive individual who had crashed a dirt bike down an embankment off Brookline Road in Athens, state troopers say. Troopers, along with Grafton Fire Department and Rescue Inc., found Ethan Whitten, 18, of Grafton dead at the scene. Whitten was the subject of a prior news release from earlier on this day after being reported as a missing person. Whitten was transported to the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for autopsy.

Juveniles suspected in Derby hate-motivated vandalism – Shortly after noon on July 6, State Police received a report of a burglary and vandalism of a residence on Caswell Avenue in Derby Line. It was reported the house was broken into, vandalized, and racial slurs were painted on the walls. State police later determined that juveniles were involved. Their names were not released.