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| Pamela Brown's killer sentenced |
| By timesargus.com |
| Published: 12/31/2009 |
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MONTPELIER – A nearly 30-year-old murder case came to an end Wednesday as Theodore Caron Jr. pled guilty to killing an 18-year-old Barre girl in the summer of 1982 and leaving her body in the woods behind a local church. Caron, 47, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors that will have him in prison for 15-35 years on a second-degree murder charge for brutally strangling Pamela Brown on the early morning of July 17, 1982. The man who evaded justice for 27 years said little in court Wednesday morning aside from telling the judge that he understood the terms of the plea agreement. Already in state custody since his arrest in February, Caron showed little emotion as he plead guilty. "No, I think I've caused enough problems," Caron said when Judge Brian Grearson asked, shortly after entering his guilty plea, if he wanted to address the court. The plea deal was a surprising development in an already surprising murder investigation. Caron was among a handful of suspects interviewed in 1982, but he was never charged because he had an alibi for that evening and there were only a few other pieces of evidence – mostly witness statements – linking him to Brown. Brown's body was found in the early afternoon of July 17, 1982, during Barre's Heritage Festival, in a wooded area behind St. Monica's School. She was found face-down in the dirt, half-clothed and with a drawstring from her own dress wrapped around her neck. There wouldn't be another break in the case until September 2006 when Caron was convicted of felony drunk driving. As a result of that conviction, his DNA was entered into the state's criminal database – and his DNA matched that of semen found in Brown's body during an autopsy. Police quickly began building a case against Caron, according to court documents. His alibi admitted lying about Caron's whereabouts that night. And police retrieved more DNA samples to test after retrieving a coffee cup and cigarette butt that he discarded while in downtown Barre. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Levine told the judge Wednesday that despite strong evidence against Caron, he was worried that the defense could poke some holes in their case if it went to trial. Changes in how DNA evidence is collected between now and the early 1980s, faulty memories of witnesses who were under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time and the fact that a second type of DNA – Brown allegedly had consensual sex with another man hours before her murder – was found in the victim's underwear would have complicated the prosecution, Levine explained. "There were a number of significant issues that would have made this prosecution more difficult than others," he said. Brown's family filled the court room for the announcement of the plea deal Wednesday afternoon. Family members declined to comment in court and to a reporter, but prosecutors said they agreed with the plea deal. Several of the family members shook the hands of the state troopers who investigated the murder, thanking them and wishing them a happy new year. "It's important to note that the family has been involved in this process," Grearson said. "The state has worked with the family and law enforcement to bring this issue to an end after many years." Read More. |
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