STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
Vermont State Police arrests suspect on murder charge in Hancock shooting
HANCOCK, Vermont (Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026) — The Vermont State Police on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, arrested a man on a charge of second-degree murder arising from the Feb. 8 shooting of 45-year-old Howard Doyle in Hancock.
The suspect, Tanner Leary, 23, of Hancock, turned himself in Tuesday morning at the VSP barracks in New Haven, where he was taken into custody and processed. He was ordered to be brought to the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Middlebury for an arraignment at the court’s earliest possible convenience Tuesday afternoon.
Leary’s prosecution is being handled by the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.
No additional information is available at this time from the Vermont State Police. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court and made public following Leary’s arraignment. Members of the news media should contact the Court Clerk’s Office for information on timing of the arraignment.
***Update No. 1, 7:55 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, 2026***
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office informed the Vermont State Police on Monday evening that they have completed the autopsy in this case. The state police is able to identify the victim as Howard Doyle, 45, of Rochester.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was a homicide.
VSP’s investigation remains active and ongoing. The state police continues to work closely with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office on the investigation.
No further information is currently available. VSP will continue to share updates as developments warrant.
***Initial news release, 3:35 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026***
The Vermont State Police is investigating a suspicious death in the Addison County town of Hancock.
The investigation began at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, when police received a report of an altercation at a property on Bettis Road. First responders located a man dead in a vehicle near the scene.
Initial investigation indicates this incident arose from a dispute involving individuals who knew one another. Everyone associated with this matter is accounted for, and there is no identified danger to the public.
The victim’s body will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine cause and manner of death. The state police will release the identity of the deceased man following further investigation and notification of his relatives.
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.
VSP asks that anyone with information that could assist investigators call the Royalton Barracks at 802-234-9933 or submit an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
No additional details are available at this time. The state police will provide updates as the investigation progresses.
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