Governor: Vermont mom is ‘alleged perpetrator’ in 4 deaths

BERLIN — A South Barre woman who allegedly gunned down a social worker behind a downtown Barre office building late Friday afternoon has been linked to a triple homicide in Berlin that claimed the lives of three of her relatives. Several shell casings were recovered from the bloody scene by investigators, police said at a Saturday night press conference.

Authorities said that victim, Lara Sobel, had handled a case for the state Department for Children and Families in which her alleged killer’s daughter was removed from the home.

Washington County’s state’s attorney, Scott Williams, was among the witnesses, so the Vermont Attorney General’s Office is expected to handle the prosecution. It is unclear if she had a lawyer who could comment on her behalf.

Three bodies were found on Saturday morning at a home in Berlin, with police saying at least two appeared to have been shot. The child remains in state custody, officials said.

Tiffany Herring, 23, found her mother and her sister, along with an aunt, shot to death in a farmhouse Saturday morning, according to local reports and Vermont State Police.

“We know that these incidents were horrific and absolutely heartbreaking”. “We also know and firmly believe that this was an isolated attack based upon the person we have in custody, who is the alleged perpetrator of these crimes”.

He ordered the Vermont flag to be lowered to half-staff Monday through Wednesday at all state, federal and public buildings in honor of Sobel.

According to Gov. Shumlin, Vermont residents are not only horrified and shocked but also grief-stricken after hearing about these killings. “I can not remember, in my lifetime, four people being murdered by the same alleged perpetrator”.

“Our prayers and thoughts tonight and in the coming days are with all the employees in Barre, their families and especially the family, friends and co-workers of the employee killed”, Vermont State Employees Association President Shelley Martin said in a message to the membership.

Sobel’s family thanked the community for their support and asked for privacy during these hard moments.

The family said that it hopes that the tragedy “can create awareness of the dedicated professionals who devote so much of their energy to ensuring the welfare of children”.

Ken Schatz, the commissioner for the Division for Youngsters and Households, referred to as Sobel’s capturing “a heartbreaking tragedy”. He called Sobel “an experienced social worker”.

Herring was already in custody after being accused of having murdered Lara Sobel, the social worker responsible for handling the 40-year-old’s custody case.

Officers stated that within the wake of the deaths, counseling and different help can be made obtainable to state staff.