Attorney general reinstating murder charges against suspect in deadly cleaver attack

Vermont's attorney general is overruling the Chittenden County prosecutor and will reinstate murder charges against Aita Gurung.

Gurung is accused of killing his wife with a cleaver and critically injuring his mother-in-law two years ago in Burlington.

In June, Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George dropped charges against Gurung and two other defendants in separate cases, saying the evidence shows all three were insane at the time of the crimes.

That led to an uproar and the governor ordered Attorney General T.J. Donovan to review the cases.

Now, Gurung is due in court Friday to answer to murder and attempted murder charges.

Sarah George told WCAX News she was notified by the AG's office that they were refiling but wasn't told why and won't have comment on that decision until she knows that.

We are still awaiting Donovan's decision in the two other cases George dismissed. The case of Veronica Lewis, who is charged in the 2015 shooting of Darryl Montague at his Westford home; and the case of Louis Fortier, accused in the 2017 stabbing death of Richard Medina, 43, in Burlington.