Manhunt underway for ‘armed and dangerous’ suspect in Vermont

(NewsNation) — Police in Vermont are searching for an “armed and dangerous” suspect after a woman’s body was discovered Thursday on a hiking trail.

“The suspect is considered armed and dangerous,” read a statement from the Vermont State Police. “The public is urged to remain vigilant and alert for suspicious person(s) and activities and to report anything suspicious to the Vermont State Police.”

The manhunt has also urgent warnings to residents and the closure of Vermont State University’s Castleton campus.

Police said a passerby came upon the woman’s body along the Delaware and Hudson River Trail in Castletown, about 30 miles south of Middlebury, and reported it to police. Police arrived on the scene around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police said a witness heard gunshots and saw a possible suspect walking toward the Vermont State University campus, which is a short distance north of the area on the trail where the woman was found.

The witness described the suspect as a white male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, with short dark-colored hair. The man was last seen wearing a dark gray T-shirt and carrying a black backpack, according to police.

Authorities have not released the woman’s name or the name of the man suspected in her killing.

The Castleton Campus issued a shelter-in-place warning Thursday evening, according to the university’s website. The campus, which has 1,900 full-time students, canceled classes and events for Friday and extended the shelter-in-place warning, citing the “ongoing investigation.”

“We ask all employees and students not to travel to the Castleton Campus for any reason,” Michael Smith, the interim president of Vermont State University, said in a statement. He added, “This situation is deeply unsettling.”