Autopsies fail to provide timeline in shooting tragedy
Autopsies of three family members found dead in Berlin over the weekend failed to determine when they were fatally shot, Vermont's chief medical examiner reports.
Dr. Steven L. Shapiro filed death certificates for sisters Regina Herring, 43, and Rhonda J. Herring, 48, and their mother, Julie Ann Falzarano, 73. The documents state that they died on Friday. Shapiro said the exact time of death was unknown.
The time of the three deaths could be important to police as they investigate a shooting in the adjoining city of Barre on Friday afternoon and try to develop a timeline.
Jody Herring, 40, of South Barre, cousin to Regina and Rhonda Herring, is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a state social worker, Lara Sobel, as she left her office at the Department for Children and Families about 4:45 p.m..
No charges have been filed in the triple homicide, but police, Gov. Peter Shumlin and Attorney General William Sorrell have said Herring is the only suspect in all four killings.
Herring and Sobel women had known each other as a result of cases in family court involving DCF, the last one occurring July 10, Barre City Police Chief Tim Bombardier said.
Authorities say Jody Herring was upset about losing custody of her 9-year-old daughter on July 10. Sobel had worked on the case, which was one of several involving child welfare and child protection issues.
Shapiro reported that all three women at the Berlin home died within seconds of being shot. Regina Herring was struck twice in the torso. Her sister and mother each were struck once in the "upper extremity/torso," Shapiro stated.
Tiffany Herring, 23, daughter of Rhonda Herring, told the Burlington Free Press on Saturday morning that she discovered the fatal shooting. She said she stopped with a friend at the family home at 3168 Airport Rd. in Berlin at about 8 a.m. and found both doors were wide open.
She said she spotted at least two dead relatives, including her mother, before fleeing the old farmhouse and calling Berlin police.
Tiffany Herring told the Free Press that Jody Herring had made a threatening call to her relatives Friday morning warning them to stop calling DCF or else "you guys are going to have it coming to you."
EARLIER COVERAGE
- Herring couldn't own a gun. Police say she had one.
- Shooting suspect arrested 7 weeks ago
- Police: Suspect 'calm and laughing' after slaying
This story was originially posted on Wednesday, August 12, 2015. Contact Mike Donoghue at 660-1845 or mdonoghue@freepressmedia.com Follow Mike on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FreepsMikeD.