Police ID homicide victim found in Danby

DANBY, Vt. (WCAX) - Authorities say a teen with multiple gunshot wounds was found dead on the side of a road in Danby Thursday morning.

Vermont State Police say the body was found at about 8:45 a.m. on the side of Danby Mountain Road, between Scallop Drive and Currier Road. Police identified the victim as Isaiah Rodriguez, 17, of Springfield Massachusetts. They say multiple gunshot wounds to the torso were the cause of death and they ruled it a homicide.

Police say they have narrowed down the time of death to between 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

At a news briefing in Manchester late Thursday, police said the body was about 10 feet from the road near a makeshift shooting range. They are trying to determine if the multiple casings on the ground in the area are related to his death. Authorities wouldn’t speculate on whether the victim was shot where he was found or shot elsewhere and left on the side of the road.

“We’re up here in the middle of nowhere. It’s a pretty well tight-knit community. Everybody knows everybody. It’s normally pretty quiet,” Dorset Fire Chief Jacob Gribble said.

Police say Rodriguez was wearing a dark-colored, puffy coat with red piping at the bottom, dark-colored pants and slides for footwear. Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call the Vermont State Police in Rutland at 802-773-9101.

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