WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Police: Fingerprint Solves 2004 Burglary

Police: Fingerprint Solves 2004 Burglary

Georgia, Vermont - January 7, 2008

Debra Raymond, 40, was smiling when she arrived at court to be charged with burglary, but the smile disappeared when we gave her a chance to tell us her side of the story. She had no comment about the burglary police say she committed at a home in Georgia in October of 2004.

Police say she stole goods worth $6,000-- including a camcorder, a lap top and a $3,500 bracelet.

"I think my wife's words were she felt violated," recalls Dan Fossi.

Fossi and his family were the victims and were certain the crime would never be solved.

"We didn't think that anything would happen from this point on. It's been three years and we hadn't heard anything more," he said.

"During the time I was there I was able to lift what's called a latent fingerprint off of the jewelry box," explains Vt. State Police Trooper John Bruzzi.

But Bruzzi lifted a fingerprint at the scene and sent it to the crime lab and last month-- more than three years later-- the lab got a hit matching the print to Debra Raymond for a burglary she was convicted of last year.

"And to see the one come back to her was great. We can link her directly to that burglary," says Bruzzi.

"It's very unusual. First, it's rare to have fingerprints that are collectible by the police. It's very rare to be able to collect a good print that is then sent to the lab. And I've never seen one hit or matched after three years of being at the laboratory," says Franklin County Prosecutor Jim Hughes.

"I was very surprised. I was sitting at home, and like I said, my daughter gave me the phone and said, it's the state police. And I was like, uh-oh, what's going on?"

Police say there was a rash of burglaries in this area three years ago, including the one that yielded the fingerprint that led to the charges against Debra Raymond. They say that she has denied any involvement in the other burglaries.

Raymond pleaded innocent to one count of burglary for the three-year old break-in. She was released on conditions pending trial and remains on probation for the burglary conviction from last year.

Brian Joyce - WCAX News