RUTLAND (AP) -- A Sheffield man "was confessing to part of the murder" of a Sheffield woman who police believe was abducted from her home in 2010 when he stopped cooperating with authorities, a Vermont State Police detective testified on Wednesday.
Det. Jason Letourneau said Michael Norrie, 22, talked to investigators several times after the body of 78-year-old Mary "Pat" O’Hagan was found by hunters in a remote area 10 miles from her Sheffield home on Oct. 3, 2010, the Burlington Free Press (http://bfpne.ws/Xl0p0h) reported. In one of those interviews, Norrie, who was being investigated in an unrelated firearms case, made incriminating remarks, Letourneau said. Authorities say evidence prompted them to question Norrie about the crime.
"He was confessing to part of the murder, and shortly after, he decided he didn’t want to answer any more questions," Letourneau said in U.S. District Court in Rutland.
Norrie is in custody awaiting trial on charges of being a convicted drug user in possession of a stolen gun and having and then selling or trading the gun.
No one has been charged in O’Hagan’s killing. A year later, police said they believed more than one person was involved.
Neither police nor Norrie’s defense attorney would say Wednesday if Norrie is a suspect or person of interest in the case.
"We haven’t excluded anybody at this point. It’s still being actively investigated," Maj. Ed Ledo told The Burlington Free Press.
Join The Conversation
Welcome to your discussion forum:
Verified accounts are now required for immediate posting. Please verify your e-mail address in Disqus, or sign in with your social networking account. You may also post using your e-mail address (which will remain private), but those posts will first need to be approved by the moderator. Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion or approval of the Bennington Banner. This forum encourages open, honest, respectful and insightful discussions; there is no need to be offensive. Read our guidelines.