Homicide suspect pleads not guilty in Burlington cleaver attack case

A Burlington man accused of killing his wife and seriously injuring his mother-in-law by attacking them with a cleaver has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges.

Aita Gurung, 34, kept his head down as he appeared in Vermont Superior Court on Friday afternoon and public defender Sara Puls entered not-guilty pleas on his behalf. Gurung was provided an interpreter for the hearing. 

Judge Kevin Griffin ordered a competency and sanity evaluation for Gurung at a hospital. He will be held without bail.

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Gurung faces a first-degree-murder charge in the slaying of his wife, 32-year-old Yogeswari Khadka.

Her mother, Tulasa Rimal, 54, also suffered serious injuries and remained in critical condition Friday morning at the University of Vermont Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. Gurung faces a charge of attempted first-degree murder in the attack on Rimal.

Del Pozo said it appeared Rimal would survive her injuries. Later that day, a hospital spokesman said he was restrained by federal privacy rules and could no longer release any information about Rimal's status or condition.

The couple's 8-year-old daughter was at an after school program at the time of the attack, according to police records filed in court. After his arrest, Gurung gave permission for the girl to be placed in the care of her grandfather.

More details emerged Friday of the events leading up to the attack.

Police say Gurung walked into an Old North End deli on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 7, and asked for police.

"He made some statements about that he was involved with an act of domestic violence the night before with his wife, that he was having some mental health issues, that he needed help," Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo said at a news conference Friday.

Police visited the couple's home and interviewed Khadka at Comfort Suites on Shelburne Road in South Burlington, where she worked. There was no evidence of violence, del Pozo said, though Khadka said her husband was slipping off medication for mental health issues.

"We're proud to say we don’t take these things lightly," del Pozo said Friday. "We do very thorough investigations. And in this case, we didn’t come up with much on the 7th."

Police had no basis to arrest Gurung, del Pozo said, and Gurung chose to seek treatment at the University of Vermont Medical Center. It is unclear whether and how he obtained treatment.

"That was the last contact we had with him until yesterday," del Pozo said.

After talking with Khadka's father, who lives with the couple on Hyde Street, police believe that Gurung chose to leave the hospital around noon on Thursday. His wife picked him up and drove him home.

Burlington Det. Lt. Michael Warren said the cleaver attack took place in multiple downstairs rooms of the family's apartment at 72 Hyde Street and ended on the sidewalk while multiple witnesses watched in horror.

One witness who lives nearby later told police that Gurung repeatedly said something like "She betrayed me!" while the two women said nothing. The witness captured a video of part of the attack.

Another witness said Khadka was crying, and Gurung was silent during the attack with a "blank look on his face," according to a police interview.

Several people tried to intervene by yelling at Gurung to stop or by approaching him with a weapon. Police said bystander John Casey pulled out a black powder revolver and told Gurung he would shoot.

"There wasn’t a cap, so it couldn’t have been fired," Burlington Deputy Chief Shawn Burke said on Friday. Officers arrived about 30 seconds after Casey pulled out his weapon and arrested Gurung at gunpoint using ballistic shields.

By the time police were called to the scene, at about 2:30 p.m., Khadka was lying on the sidewalk near the driveway, bleeding with severe injuries to her head, arms and hand. She had a faint pulse, and police used a tourniquet in an attempt to save her. Khadka was pronounced dead later that day at UVM Medical Center.

Rimal, the mother-in-law, was on the steps to the home, also with substantial bleeding from her head and arm. Gurung was holding a meat cleaver with a blade about 10 inches long, police said.

Gurung agreed to remove his blood-soaked shirt and pants after he was arrested, according to police statements in court records. His shirt sleeve was torn, he had scratches on his arm and an abrasion on his shoulder, and he was still wearing a hospital bracelet.

Lt. Warren said Gurung declined to speak with police and requested an attorney.

In court Friday afternoon, defense attorney Puls requested a competency and sanity evaluation for Gurung to be done at a hospital, as a screener had recommended.

Prosecutors argued that Gurung did not qualify for an in-patient evaluation and should be held in jail. Judge Griffin sided with the defense and ordered Gurung to be evaluated at a hospital.

Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George, who does not have access to Gurung's medical records, said she had no evidence to believe that mental health issues caused the crime.

"He does have a mental health issue, but it’s not a major mental illness," George said after the hearing, declining to specify Gurung’s specific mental health issue.

Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger issued a statement expressing sympathy for Khadka's friends and family.

"No family should have to endure the pain they are going through," Weinberger said. "I am grateful for the bravery of her neighbors, who helped to contain a terrible situation, and the remarkable professionalism, courage and decisiveness of the Burlington Police Department officers who responded to this scene."

More:Burlington cleaver attack: Husband accused of killing wife, injuring mother-in-law

Editor's note: This story has been edited to reflect updated information from the Burlington Police Department correcting the spelling of Tulasa Rimal's name.

Contact April McCullum at 802-660-1863 or amccullum@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @April_McCullum. Do you have a breaking news tip? Call us at 802-660-6500 or send us a post on Facebook or Twitter using #BFPTips.