1 of 2 | The victim of a homicide on a hiking trail in Vermont has been identified as retired university professor Honoree Fleming, state police confirmed. Photo courtesy of Vermont State Police
The victim of a homicide on a hiking trail in Vermont has been identified as a retired university professor and dean, Vermont State Police have confirmed.
Honoree Fleming, 77, was found dead Thursday on a hiking trail near Castleton, a town in Rutland County, Vt., police said in a news release. Advertisement
The body of a woman found on the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail was first reported to police by hikers on Thursday afternoon.
That led to the hunt for an “armed and dangerous” suspect through Friday, with the nearby Castleton campus of Vermont State University issuing a shelter-in-place order for all staff and students.
A Friday autopsy confirmed Fleming’s cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head, according to the medical examiner’s office.
Police had not made any arrests or publicly identified any suspects as of Saturday and the multi-agency manhunt continued.
“A witness in the area reported a possible suspect was northbound on the rail-trail walking towards the Castleton University campus after gunshots were heard,” police said in the news release.
“The witness described a white male approximately 5-foot-10, short dark-colored hair, last seen wearing a dark gray T-shirt and carrying a black backpack. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous. The public is urged to remain vigilant and alert for suspicious person(s).” Advertisement
Now retired, Fleming previously served as dean of education at Castleton.
“With deep sadness, we have learned that Honoree Fleming, Ph.D., 77, a retired dean of education at Castleton, was the victim of the homicide on D&H Rail Trail in Castleton, a mile from the campus she called home,” the school wrote in a post on social media.
“Honoree was a part of the Castleton family and was beloved by faculty, staff and students…Our hearts go out to the members of our community who taught with Honoree and had her as a beloved teacher during their time at Castleton. Our deepest sympathies go to her husband, Ron, family, and friends.”
Fleming was married to American journalist, novelist, and nonfiction writer Ron Powers. Powers is a Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author.
“Those of you who know her know that she was beautifully named. I have never known a more sterling heart and soul than hers. She has taken far more than half my own heart and soul with her,” Powers wrote in a Facebook posting Saturday.
