Vermont state police are warning about an “armed and dangerous” suspect on the lam after a woman’s body was found on a popular walking and bike trail.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was discovered late afternoon Thursday when police responded to the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail in Castleton, just 7 miles from the New York state border.
A witness in the area reported hearing gunshots before spotting the possible suspect heading northbound on the trail towards the Vermont State University-Castleton campus, which has been closed and placed under a shelter-in-place order during the manhunt.
The suspect was described as a man, approximately 5-foot 10-inches tall with short, dark-colored hair. He was last seen wearing a dark gray t-shirt and carrying a black backpack, according to a police news release.
Police say the suspect should be considered “armed and dangerous,” and are urging the public to report suspicious individuals and activities in the area.
The woman’s body will be brought to the chief medical examiner’s office in Burlington for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
