Police: Man injures stepfather, dies of self-inflicted wounds at Weathersfield home
Published: 11-18-2021 10:01 PM |
WEATHERSFIELD — A Springfield, Vt., man died of self-inflicted wounds after seriously injuring his stepfather in an incident at his mother and stepfather’s home in Weathersfield on Wednesday, Vermont State Police said.
Daniel Murray, 29, of Springfield, “was experiencing a mental-health crisis” and had gone to his mother and stepfather’s home on Melody Lane in Weathersfield on Wednesday afternoon, police said. His stepfather, Donald Brochu, 68, “was working to help” his stepson with his crisis when Murray “broke a glass-front cabinet and used a piece of glass to harm his stepfather,” Vermont State Police said in a news release.
Brochu suffered critical injuries and “was able to escape, at which point (Murray) used the sharp object to inflict fatal injuries on himself,” according to the news release. Brochu was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for treatment; his injuries were considered serious but not life-threatening, and on Thursday morning he was in critical but stable condition.
State police said the Weathersfield Police Department had received a 911 call around 3 p.m., reporting that a “domestic altercation” had occurred at a home on Melody Lane. When responders arrived, they found Murray dead at the scene and Brochu injured.
On Thursday, a state police Major Crime Unit was parked in the driveway of Brochu’s residence on Melody Lane, which is located up winding and wooded roads between Interstate 91 and Route 5. Authorities at the scene declined comment.
State police said the investigation involves members of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Crime Scene Search Team, Victim Services Unit and uniformed troopers from the Field Force Division.
Also assisting VSP were the police departments in Chester, Springfield and Weathersfield, the Ascutney Fire Department and Golden Cross Ambulance.
Authorities said there were no other suspects in the incident and or any indication of danger to the public.
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“It’s clear based on the investigation that this was an issue of a man experiencing a severe mental-health crisis, and there is no history of violence in the relationship,” said VSP spokesman Adam Silverman via email.
State police also “seized one firearm from the residence as part of the investigation,” Silverman said.
Murray, a 2010 graduate of Springfield High School, studied construction practice and management at Vermont Tech and was employed most recently at Claremont Glassworks, according to his Facebook profile.
He previously had worked as an apprentice roofer at Griffin Construction in Langdon, N.H., and as a carpenter and laborer at Daniels Construction in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., his Facebook profile said.
Family members did not respond to messages left seeking comment.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.
Contact John Lippman at jlippman@vnews.com.
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