The protracted manhunt for the suspect in the killing of a Vermont woman, who happens to be the mother of a Connecticut TV news anchor, finally drew to a close this week. Officials say Shawn Conlon, 44, was nabbed at a hotel in Groton, Connecticut, by a team consisting of local police and the U.S. Marshals Service. Conlon is accused in the February death of Claudia Voight, 73, the mother of Heidi Voight, an NBC Connecticut anchor and former Miss Connecticut.
Initially deemed a medical situation, authorities later revealed the grimmer truth – Claudia Voight's death in her Windham home on Feb. 20 was the result of neck compression. This critical detail surfaced not initially, but during an autopsy performed by the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Burlington, Vermont. As they released in a July Facebook post by Heidi Voight, she stated, "My mother was murdered, violently, in the place she should have felt safest — her own home in Windham, Vermont." She further vowed resilience and determination, vowing, "I will fight for her", WHDH reported.
With the case ruled a homicide, Vermont State Police focused their efforts on Conlon, coming from Rhode Island, and with the help of the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, tracked him down. His arrest occurred after marshals were first led to Rhode Island and subsequently learned he had traveled to Groton, according to CT Post. On Dec. 18, a warrant for his arrest was issued - and but two days later, the authorities made their move.
Conlon, being held at a Groton police facility, awaits arraignment in Connecticut before expected extradition to Vermont faces a charge of second-degree homicide. While captured, details regarding his counsel and how he plans to respond to the accusations remain unclear.
