Former Vermont University Dean Found Shot Dead on Trail Near Campus

Authorities are continuing their investigation surrounding the homicide of Honoree Fleming, 77, a retired dean at Vermont State University

Authorities in Vermont are still investigating the death of a former university dean who was found fatally shot on a trail about a mile from campus.

In a news release issued Saturday, Vermont State Police said they have interviewed numerous neighbors and witnesses as well as gathered surveillance footage from the area regarding the death of Honoree Fleming, 77, a retired dean of Vermont State University’s Castleton campus.

According to authorities, Fleming entered the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail on Oct. 5 around 4 p.m. from the pavilion area at the campus. She was later found dead about a half hour later. The chief medical examiner determined the cause of her death was a gunshot wound to the head and the manner of death is considered a homicide, said police.

Vermont State Police said witnesses on the trail described a person of interest as a white male with short red hair and a height of 5'10”. He was reportedly last seen wearing a dark gray T-shirt and a black backpack. Police added that the suspect is considered armed and dangerous.

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Authorities are also asking the public and businesses to review their surveillance systems that may have recorded the suspect’s movements from the early afternoon through evening of Oct. 5.  They added that the section of the trail remains closed to the public while the investigation is ongoing.

According to Vermont State University in a statement shared on Facebook on Oct. 6, Fleming lived in Castleton and was the wife of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Powers.

“Honoree was a part of the Castleton family and was beloved by faculty, staff, and students,” said the university. “Scores of students benefited from Dr. Fleming’s teachings and research. Before she joined Castleton, she was also a faculty member at Trinity College, Middlebury College and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

“Our hearts go out to the members of our community who taught with Honoree and had her as a beloved teacher during their time at Castleton,” the statement continued. “Our deepest sympathies go to her husband, Ron, family and friends.”

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The Castleton campus reopened on Monday after it was closed on Oct. 5 due to the fall break, NBC News reported.

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"It’s definitely a lot quieter — usually all my friends would be coming back at this time, but a lot of them have chosen to stay home for an extra day, especially with the cancelation, so it’s just super different than the atmosphere we’re used to," Vermont State University student Samera Rideout told WPTZ. 

Rideout also said to the local news outlet that she’s “not going that way anytime soon," referring to the trail whose entrance was covered in crime tape.

Fleming’s husband Powers said that the trail was a favorite of his wife, the Associated Press reported. The former dean’s death came days before what would have been the couple’s 45th wedding anniversary, the news agency said.

PEOPLE reached out to the Vermont State Police Tuesday for any further updates on the case, but they did not immediately respond for comment.

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