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Vermont Police Solve Sad 42-Year-Old Mystery

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Vermont Police Solve Sad 42-Year-Old Mystery


More than 40 years after some Vermont children waiting for a school bus discovered a dead baby off the side of the road, state police have announced that they found the infant’s parents and that no charges will be filed. The deceased infant was found in Northfield on April 1, 1982, per the AP. Investigators determined that the deceased baby was a recently born boy, but his identity was unknown and an autopsy was unable to determine the cause of death. Evidentiary DNA testing was not available at the time and the case remained unresolved, police said.

In 2020, state police worked with a DNA company to do a genealogical analysis, with the work funded by donations. In 2021, the company provided possible names of the baby’s biological mother and father, who had ties to the Northfield area in 1982.

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  • The father: Vermont State Police said they contacted the individuals at their home in Maine and obtained DNA from them, which confirmed they were the parents. The father told police he left Vermont for an extended period in 1982 and did not know about the pregnancy or disposal of the deceased baby.
  • The mother: She admitted that she unlawfully disposed of the deceased infant. She said she did not know she was pregnant and did not have any symptoms until she began to feel abdominal pain. She labored alone for several hours and lost consciousness, she told police. She said when she came to, she realized she had delivered a baby but the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and he did not survive. She said she planned to find a spot in the woods to bury him, but while walking in the woods she thought she heard voices and got scared. She slipped and the baby fell from her arms and she ran, police said.
  • No charges: State police met with the county prosecutor about the case, who determined that charges of murder were unwarranted. Charges related to the unauthorized disposal of a dead body are beyond the statute of limitations.

(More cold cases stories.)





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Plan for the future with Vermont Public and FreeWill

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Plan for the future with Vermont Public and FreeWill


As Vermont Public adapts to the loss of federal funding, we’re focused on building a more sustainable future through diverse and resilient sources of support. We also know that many of our listeners, viewers, and readers want to do even more to strengthen this essential public service.

That’s why we’ve partnered with FreeWill — a free, easy-to-use online tool that helps you create or update your will in as little as 20 minutes, at no cost.

Just as Vermont Public works every day to keep our communities informed, entertained, and connected, we also want to help you protect what matters most and plan confidently for the years ahead.

This week is National Estate Planning Awareness Week, a great time to think about:

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  • Cultivating peace of mind for you and your loved ones
  • Ensuring your assets go to the people and causes you care about
  • Naming someone to make health care decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to do so

By taking these steps today, you can protect your family’s future — and help ensure Vermont Public remains a strong, trusted source of news and storytelling for generations to come.

Together, we’re empowering public service journalism and the future of connection across Vermont.

Get started with FreeWill

If you’ve already included a gift to Vermont Public in your will, we’d love to thank you personally. Please reach out at philanthropy@vermontpublic.org.





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A VT lawmaker moved to Canada to avoid the Trump administration. Here’s her replacement

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A VT lawmaker moved to Canada to avoid the Trump administration. Here’s her replacement


Gov. Phil Scott has chosen a replacement for the Democratic state representative who resigned and moved to Canada this summer out of fear for a second Trump administration.

On Oct. 17, Karen Lueders, an attorney and fellow Democrat from Lincoln, was appointed to fill the open Addison 4 seat, which Mari Cordes vacated in June to start a job in Nova Scotia after six years in the Legislature.

Cordes attributed her departure to fears that the Trump administration might cut Social Security, continued concerns about her safety as a queer woman in the U.S and a loss of work hours at her nursing job at the University of Vermont, according to VTDigger.

Before she moved to Canada, Cordes occasionally made the news for her activism, especially regarding medical and social issues. In 2018, she was arrested in Washington, DC, after joining hundreds of other women to protest U.S. immigration policies.

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Lueders will represent the district’s four towns: Lincoln, Bristol, Starksboro and Monkton.

“Karen has strong ties to her community, which will bring a valuable perspective to Montpelier,” Scott said in an Oct. 17 press release. “With many years of public service, I believe she will be an effective legislator and represent her constituents well.”

Who is Karen Lueders?

Lueders has extensive nonprofit and volunteer experience, according to the press release from the governor. She is a board member for Addison Housing Works and serves on a Lincoln Selectboard-appointed committee tasked with studying and recommending improvements to local voting, including during Town Meeting Day.

Lueders previously sat on boards for Addison County Home Health and Hospice and Habitat for Humanity. Along with her law office, Lueders also ran Walkover Gallery and Concert Room in Bristol for 17 years until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

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Lueders’ son is Tim Lueders-Dumont, who serves as the executive director of the Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs.

“I am grateful to the governor for the opportunity to represent Addison 4 in the Vermont House of Representatives,” said Lueders in the press release. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to find solutions for the complex concerns that affect our communities across the state.”

Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.



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Who are Vermont’s biggest landowners? The biggest private land owner owns 86,000 acres

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Who are Vermont’s biggest landowners? The biggest private land owner owns 86,000 acres


Great places to view fall foliage in Burlington, VT

It’s leaf-peeping season in Vermont. Here are six places to see the fall foliage in Burlington, the Green Mountain State’s largest city.

Vermont might not be a huge state but the amount of land the largest landholder owns might surprise you.

The World Population Review drew on 2025 data and found the biggest land owners in each state of the country.

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“Approximately 60% of land in the United States is privately owned, and just a few individuals and families control a significant proportion of this land,” they said.

Here’s what the World Population Review said.

What is Weyerhaeuser

Owning 86,000 acres of forestland, Plum Creek Timber Company was the largest landowner in Vermont, but it merged with Weyerhaeuser in 2016, the Review said, technically making Weyerhaeuser the biggest landowner in Vermont.

Weyerhaeuser also owns land outside of Vermont.

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The state website said that the Kingdom Heritage Lands that encompasses the West Mountain Wildlife Management Area as well as the public easement on private timber lands are currently owned by Weyerhaeuser.

“Essex Timber Company acquired 84,000 acres for working forestry, with easements protecting certain natural resources and guaranteeing perpetual public access,” the Vermont government website said. “This land was subsequently purchased by the Plum Creek Timber Company and again purchased by Weyerhaeuser.”

Today, the company manages land for wood production, conservation, and recreation. There are 20 miles of hiking trails as well as rock climbing opportunities.

According to investor.weyerhaeuser.com, Weyerhaeuser owns and manages 10.4 million acres of timberlands across the United States, making its overall market capitalization approximately $17.2 billion.

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Weyerhaeuser also has had its fair share of controversy, facing repeated accusations of violating the Clean Water Act and dozens of charges for stormwater discharge violations in the state of Washington. They have continued to deny wrongdoing and have settled in the past to end legal proceedings.

In 2016, Weyerhaeuser faced legal controversy when the Vermont Supreme Court said that their loggers cut down more trees than they were allowed to cut. They would settle with the state for $375,000 in 2017.

“Our environmental stewardship in these northern forests is shaped by responsible forest management, the geography of our ownership and past land management practices,” Weyerhaeuser’s website said. “Our forest management plans address biodiversity in line with state and federal environmental laws, collaborative projects with a variety of stakeholders, and practices that support sustainable forestry.”

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.



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