STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
Vermont State Police arrests suspect on aggravated murder charge in connection with Montpelier killings
MONTPELIER, Vermont (Friday, Nov. 15, 2024) — On Friday night, Nov. 15, the Vermont State Police arrested 29-year-old Matthew Gomes of Montpelier in connection with the killings of two adults at the home they shared on Gallison Hill Road.
The victims are believed to be the other occupants of the house, a man and a woman who are related to Gomes. Their identities will be confirmed through autopsies in the coming days at the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington, which will also determine the cause and manner of their deaths.
Gomes is scheduled to be arraigned on a charge of aggravated murder at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Barre. He was ordered jailed without bail pending his initial court appearance.
Investigation by the Vermont State Police determined that Gomes attacked and killed the victims in the early morning of Friday, Nov. 15. He was arrested after calling 911 at about 11:30 a.m., stating that he had harmed his relatives and requesting police and an ambulance respond to the home.
Members of the Vermont State Police remain on scene and are continuing to process the house and surrounding area for evidence. Investigators ask that anyone with information potentially relevant to this case contact the Berlin Barracks at 802-229-9191 or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No additional information is available at this time. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court and made public following Matthew Gomes’ arraignment. Members of the media should contact the Criminal Court Clerk’s Office to confirm details of the hearing.
***Update No. 1, 4:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, 2024***
Maj. Dan Trudeau, commander of the Vermont State Police Criminal Division, will be available to speak with members of the media regarding this investigation at 5:45 p.m. today at the Berlin Barracks, 578 Paine Turnpike N. in Berlin.
***Initial news release, 1:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, 2024***
The Vermont State Police and the Montpelier Police Department are investigating a suspected double homicide that occurred late Friday morning, Nov. 15, 2024, in Montpelier.
The incident was reported at about 11:30 a.m. at a private home on Gallison Hill Road. First responding police officers located two people dead at the scene and detained one man. Everyone involved in this incident is believed to be accounted for, and there is no identified threat to the community.
This investigation is in its preliminary stages and involves members of the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Crime Scene Search Team, Field Force Division and Victim Services Unit. The Montpelier Police Department is assisting.
Following processing of the scene by the Crime Scene Search Team, the victims’ bodies will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. Names of those involved will be released after notification of relatives and further investigation.
Anyone with information that could aid investigators in this case should call the Vermont State Police in Berlin at 802-229-9191 or submit an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No additional details are currently available. VSP will provide updates as the investigation continues.
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