A Colchester man faces murder charges after police say he stabbed a woman
multiple times with a knife Thursday. Colchester Police say officers were called
to a home on Florence Lane around 5:20 p.m. Thursday for a disturbance. When
they arrived, they found the body of a woman inside. Police say that Elijah
Compagna, 27, stabbed the woman multiple times with a switchblade. The
name of the victim has not been released. Compagna was arrested and pleaded
not guilty Friday morning to first-degree murder and violating probation related
to a prior simple assault conviction. According to court documents, Compagna
was recently placed at the home and was being supervised by a case manager.
Compagna allegedly told police the woman was a prostitute whom he had
solicited from a website.
The Vermont Drug task force arrested three people on Thursday following a
months-long drug investigation and the execution of a search warrant.
Authorities were looking into cocaine and fentanyl distribution in the Vernon,
Putney and Brattleboro areas. As part of this investigation, police conducted
their search on a Silver Lane residence in Vernon. Officers found three
individuals, 45 grams of crack cocaine, 73 grams of fentanyl and a firearm at the
home. Damar Ausby, 40, of Bridgeton, NJ; Jennifer Peduzzi, 54, of Vernon, VT
and Antwan Brown, 33, of New Britian, CT, were all arrested. Ausby faces 26
violations of release conditions, five fentanyl sale violations and more. Peduzzi
faces a firearm while committing a felony violation and cocaine plus fentanyl
possession violations among other charges. Both were ordered held at $50,000
bail. Brown only faces possession of cocaine, and firearm possession while
committing a felony violations, plus was ordered held on $10,000 bail. All three
appeared in Vermont Superior Court, Windham Criminal Division earlier today.
Police say a New Hampshire man faces charges after hitting two people with his
car. It happened just after 11 a.m. on Thursday morning on Main Street in
Putney. Police say Jason Ball, 23, of Alsted, New Hampshire, drove onto the
sidewalk and hit two pedestrians. One of the victims is in critical condition. The
other victim only had minor injuries. Ball was arrested and charged with driving
under the influence of drugs and gross negligence operation.
A Wisconsin man faces a slew of charges for his alleged involvement in a child
porn ring targeting two New Hampshire minors. Police in Newport, New
Hampshire, say Michael Brandon Shu, 24, was arrested in Wisconsin. He faces
multiple charges, including the manufacture of child sexual abuse images,
trafficking in persons, and indecent exposure. Police arrested Jacob Isaiah Haun
of Tennessee last month for his alleged role in the child porn and trafficking case
involving two Newport minors. They say further investigation revealed Shu was
also involved. He is being held on bail pending extradition.
Vermont Senator Peter Welch is raising the alarm about rolling back rural
internet access for students. He says Senate Republicans voted to strip some
FCC rules that help connect rural students as part of the Wi-Fi on Wheels
program, an effort to provide internet access on school buses. Vermont has one
of the largest percentages of rural students in the country, and Welch says
removing these programs makes it harder for rural kids to learn. Republican
supporters call it a way to protect kids from the dangers of being on the internet
without parental supervision.