[A] Highgate woman and her boyfriend are on the run from police, who believe she shot her ex-boyfriend, whose body was discovered by residents walking in the woods.
Police say Erika Guttilla, 31, and Corey Cassani, 28, are armed and dangerous.
Carmen Guttilla, 60, the mother of Erika, was arrested on Sunday evening for assisting in the murder and is scheduled to be arraigned in Burlington court Monday afternoon.
Residents of Darlene Drive in Highgate informed police of the remains on Saturday and police brought the remains to Burlington for an autopsy the next day.
The ensuing investigation quickly led police to learn that Troy Ford, 35, had lived with the Guttilla family, and that “Erika Guttilla shot and killed Ford several months prior at the residence,” according to a Vermont State Police press release.
The investigation also revealed that Guttilla, her mother and her current boyfriend were involved in the case.
It’s not clear how police reached these conclusions, and VSP spokesperson Adam Silverman said he could not give information beyond what was already released.
An affidavit in the case is expected to be released when the elder Guttilla is arraigned Monday afternoon.
The current whereabouts of Erika Guttilla and Cassani are unknown. They are believed to be driving in a 2013 red Chevrolet Spark with Vermont license plates bearing the number FHN394.
Police provided the following descriptions of the suspects: Erika Guttilla is a white female, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 120 pounds, with green eyes and blonde hair. Corey Cassani is a white male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 165 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair.
Authorities were seeking arrest warrants as of this morning. State police are working with the FBI and U.S. Marshals on the case.
Anyone with any information in relation to this case is encouraged to call the Vermont State Police at 802-524-5993.
The Highgate homicide is the third major case in the past five days that is under investigation by the Vermont State Police. On Thursday, a woman was found shot in South Burlington, allegedly by her boyfriend, Leroy Headley, and on Friday night there was an police officer involved shooting in Brattleboro.
Adam Silverman, spokesperson for the Vermont Department of Public Safety, said that the Vermont State Police have been “busy” working two major cases in Highgate and Brattleboro, which are located on opposite ends of the state, but that troopers can “keep people safe” in spite of the unusual demand on resources.
Silverman said while the state police crime investigation was initially involved in the South Burlington case, the local police force is taking the lead on an ensuing manhunt for Headley.
