Friday, October 13, 2006

Breaking News: Michelle Gardner-Quinn

The body of missing University of Vermont student, Michelle Gardner-Quinn, has reportedly been found, but details are sketchy and reports vary as to the recovery site. Investigators have been excavating a construction site in a residential yard a few blocks from the jewelry store address where Michelle was last seen. Construction workers indicated that they were focusing on an area where concrete was poured on Monday.

Earlier, authorities had cordoned off at least half a block in a residential Burlington neighborhood several blocks south of where Gardner-Quinn was last seen. They were concentrating on a stately, three-story, red brick home, where there has been construction on an addition.

A backhoe could be seen in the yard, but police were keeping a crowd of media well away from the scene and were declining to comment.

The Burlington Free Press, citing construction workers who declined to be identified, reported on its Web site that digging was to concentrate on a hole behind the house where concrete was poured on Monday.

WCAX reported that a man who had been a subcontractor on the job was the person whose phone Gardner-Quinn had used as she walked toward her dorm.

No arrests have been reported, but police have searched the vehicle of the man who loaned his cell phone. [Source: The Boston Globe]


In addition, a swimming hole near Richmond was also being searched today. Vermont's WCAX-TV is reporting that a female body found near the popular swimming area of Huntington Gorge is that of Michelle.

A sad ending to an exhaustive search. Channel 3 News has learned that police have found the body of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, the missing UVM student.

Official sources tell us that her body was found Friday near the Huntington Gorge in Richmond. We are told it was not in the gorge, but along Dugway Road.


Police have not yet confirmed that report but are expected to hold a press conference this afternoon.


Update: 4:15 pm, CT

It's official:

Burlington Deputy Police Chief Michael Schirling says a woman's body has been recovered in a town east of Burlington. He has confirmed that the remains are those of missing University of Vermont student Michelle Gardner-Quinn. [Source: KDKA.com]


CourtTV is reporting that police have released the name of the man seen in the video with Michelle Gardner-Quinn. He is 36-year-old Brian Rooney. He has been arrested on unrelated charges and is now a suspect in Ms. Gardner-Quinn's death.

The Interactive Map has been updated with Dugway Road marked with placemark #8.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry if anyone gets upset with what I'm about to write but I'm upset that a woman, in this day and age, goes up to a "random man" in the middle of the night, while alone, and asks to use his cell phone. Or that she accepts the cell phone if it's offered before she asks. This was not exactly an emergency. **sigh** Off the soapbox. Back to feeling horrible for the family about how this turned out.

I'm more convinced than ever to keep telling my children that if they are ever, EVER, in a bind and need help (like being lost in a store or park) to ask a woman for help. No men allowed. I think their chances of getting help and not hurt are much better that way.

Man. This is just so wrong.

Here's a link w/a crime scene picture.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061013/NEWS01/61013055/1009

**sigh**

Anonymous said...

Here's the booking photo of the suspect. Notice the long scratch on his neck. (zoom in) I hope she gave him hell.

http://www.bpdvt.org/Gardner-Quinn%20Missing%20Person%20Case/Rooney%20Booking%20Photo.JPG

Anonymous said...

Rooney was arrested due to his DNA being on her body.