by Guy Page

A Colchester man is facing a first-degree murder charge after police discovered a woman dead in a home Thursday evening.

Colchester Police responded to a report of a disturbance at a home near Roosevelt Highway (Rte. 7) around 5:30 p.m. Upon arrival a minute later, officers found a woman deceased inside the home. Authorities say she had been attacked with an object with a sharp edge. The identity of the victim has not yet been released, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is conducting a full autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Police have arrested Elijah Compagna, 27, in connection with the incident. He was taken into custody at the scene and is expected to be arraigned in court Friday morning on a charge of first-degree murder.

Social media reports show that Elijah Julian Compagna, 27, was arrested on February 20 of this year in Vermont on a simple assault charge.

It is unclear whether this killing is family-related. In the last year, Vermont has seen at least three suspected killings of adult family members by adult-age sons:

In September in Pawlet: Son charged with triple murder has history of mental health problems

In November in Montpelier: Former Montpelier, semi-pro football player charged with slaying parents

In Enosburg in October: Son to be arraigned today for hammer, baseball bat murder/assault on parents