STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
Investigation into two St. Johnsbury deaths concludes with no charges
ST. JOHNSBURY, Vermont (Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024) — The Vermont State Police has completed its investigation into the July incident in which two people were killed in a Cottage Street home in St. Johnsbury. The evidence shows Nicholas Johnson, 42, was the sole aggressor, breaking into the home and stabbing 21-year-old Ben Lyons, who later died, along with Patrick Mayhew, 33, and Jennifer Bradley, 44, before being fatally shot by Mayhew.
VSP turned over the case to the Caledonia County State’s Attorney’s Office for review. State’s Attorney Jessica Zaleski has determined she will file no charges.
The case is now closed.
***Update No. 3, 5:20 p.m. Monday, July 8, 2024***
Autopsies have been completed on the two men who died in an altercation early Sunday in St. Johnsbury. They are identified as:
- Ben Lyons, 21, a resident of the home at 16 Cottage St. where the incident occurred. He died Sunday afternoon at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner’s Office identified his cause of death as a stab wound to the neck, and the manner of death was homicide.
- Nicholas Johnson, 42, who had no fixed address and most recently was living in the St. Johnsbury area. He died at the scene Sunday morning. The Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office identified his cause of death as a gunshot wound, and the manner of death was homicide.
Two other people who live in the Cottage Street home were injured:
- Patrick Mayhew, 33, suffered serious but non-life-threatening knife wounds. He was treated at Dartmouth Hitchcock and discharged late Sunday.
- Jennifer Bradley, 44, received minor injuries and was not hospitalized. She is Mayhew’s wife, Lyons’ mother, and the former partner of Johnson.
Two children between the ages of 12-18 also were in the home at the time of the incident but were not physically harmed. The family’s two dogs, Wilson and Sage, also were attacked. Wilson died at a local animal hospital; Sage remains in critical condition at a canine trauma center in Massachusetts.
The Vermont State Police’s investigation into this incident remains active and ongoing. Detectives continue to canvass the area, speak with witnesses and collect evidence. The Crime Scene Search Team has completed processing the scene. Additional investigative work and further interviews are expected in the coming days. VSP is working closely with the Caledonia County State’s Attorney’s Office on this case. The St. Johnsbury Police Department is assisting.
Police have identified the parties involved in this incident. There is no threat to the public.
State police ask that anyone with information that could assist investigators call the St. Johnsbury Barracks at 802-748-3111 or submit an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No further information is available. VSP will share additional details as the investigation proceeds.
***Update No. 2, 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 7, 2024***
A second person involved in this incident, who was undergoing treatment for critical injuries at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, has died.
The identities of the deceased will be released following autopsies. The second victim’s autopsy will be performed at the New Hampshire Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Concord.
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.
The Vermont State Police investigation remains active and ongoing. Detectives continue to ask that anyone with information that could assist in this case contact the St. Johnsbury Barracks at 802-748-3111 or provide an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
VSP will continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses.
***Update No. 1, 3:35 p.m. Sunday, July 7, 2024***
Maj. Dan Trudeau, commander of the Vermont State Police Criminal Division, will be available to speak with members of the media at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 7, at VSP’s St. Johnsbury Barracks, 1068 U.S. Route 5.
***Initial news release, 9:40 a.m. Sunday, July 7, 2024***
The Vermont State Police and the St. Johnsbury Police Department are investigating an incident that occurred Sunday morning, July 7, 2024, in St. Johnsbury.
The investigation began at about 5:50 a.m. when 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; their conditions are currently unknown.
St. Johnsbury police requested the Vermont State Police respond to lead the investigation. Initial work by detectives indicates this was an isolated event with no identified threat to the public. Police believe all the parties to this incident were known to one another and are accounted for.
This case is in its initial stages and involves members of the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Field Force Division, Crime Scene Search Team and Victim Services Unit. The St. Johnsbury Police Department is providing assistance.
The body of the deceased individual will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. The names of the individuals involved will be released following further investigation and notification of relatives.
Anyone with information that could assist investigators in this case is asked to call the Vermont State Police in St. Johnsbury at 802-748-3111. Tips also may be submitted anonymously online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No additional details are available at this stage in the investigation. VSP will provide updates as the case continues.
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