NEWBURY, Vt. -
At the Newbury General Store breakfast time was abuzz with questions about why police detectives were in their small town Tuesday night, something store owner Dave McKnelly says is very rare.
"This morning it was all the talk about what had happened. Some people heard shots, but nobody knew where it was or what happened until the day went on," McKnelly said.
Late Tuesday night, police responded to reports of shots fired at a residence near Doe Hill Road and Snake Road in Newbury. Dale Rock, 43, was found dead inside of an apparent gunshot wound to the head.
"We had crime scene search team who has been processing the scene since about 6 a.m. this morning. We have detectives at autopsy this morning, that's in Burlington right now," Vt. State Police Maj. Ed Ledo said.
Police say they found what witnesses described as a getaway a car-- a dark blue Subaru Legacy-- in Bradford. That's also where they found and arrested Anne-Marie Whiteway, 51. She was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder.
"The relationship that we know at this point is that Mr. Rock and the female are acquainted. I won't get into the detail of how they know each other at least until we can get her arraigned," Ledo said.
Police say it's unclear right now how long the two, who both have criminal pasts, have known each other. McKnelly says Rock frequented his store, but he didn't know much about him.
"He came into the store from time to time to buy articles, sometimes beer and other food items," McKnelly said. "Always seemed to be nice enough to me, but I was told by other people in town to basically keep him at arm's length. But beyond that, that's all I know."
McKnelly says it's shocking news for the otherwise quiet community.
"We're a sleepy little town," he said. "It's like going back 60, 70, 80 years in time where people know each other and they wave to each other and watch out for each other. It's a great farm, rural community. That stuff doesn't happen here in this town. It just doesn't happen."
Whiteway is being held without bail at the prison in Springfield pending an arraignment Thursday in Windsor District Court.
Police say they do have an idea of motive, but they were not willing to release it until Whiteway is arraigned in court.
Anne-Marie Whiteway
