Who is Brooke Pertile? Breanne Pennington’s sister wants ‘coward’ Aaron Pennington to 'stand up for what he did and turn himself in'
GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS: The family of Breanne Pennington, a Massachusetts mother-of-four who was shot dead in her home on Sunday, October 22, is urging her husband Aaron Pennington, the prime suspect in her murder, to surrender to the authorities.
The suspect, Aaron Pennington, a former US Air Force veteran with an alleged "mental illness", is considered “armed and dangerous” and has been on the run since his wife’s body was discovered by police in their Gardner home.
Aaron Pennington holds active secret clearance for Raytheon Missiles & Defense
Aaron Pennington, 33, is a former US Air Force veteran who now works for Raytheon Missiles & Defense, according to his LinkedIn profile. He now holds “active secret clearance” for it, as per the New York Post.
He is said to have a history of mental illness and had threatened to take his own life in the past, according to police.
The couple’s four young children, who ran to a neighbor for help, are now in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Breanne Pennington was a loving and caring woman who wanted to move away
Brooke Pertile, Breanne’s younger sister, told Boston 25 News that she was shocked and devastated by the tragedy.
She said that Breanne was a “very loving, caring, compassionate woman” who “always saw the best in everything and people”.
“She definitely lit up the room like no other, any room that she walked in,” Pertile said.
Pertile also revealed that Breanne and Aaron’s relationship was troubled and that Breanne was planning to move with her children to Texas to get away from him.
Pertile said she last spoke to her sister three days before her death and did not notice any red flags about the violence that unfolded in the house.
She said that Breanne was looking forward to raising chickens in her backyard. She said she hoped that Aaron would turn himself in and face justice for what he did.
“He better turn himself in. He needs to stand up for what he did, and turn himself in. And not be a coward,” Pertile said, adding “He needs to turn himself in. He needs to do it for the kids.”
Police found shell casings at the crime scene
Breanne’s body was reportedly discovered in an upstairs bedroom on Sunday morning, October 22, after her children ran over to a neighbor’s house asking for help, according to a criminal complaint.
The neighbor told police that the children were scared because they could not find their father and their mother was in her bedroom crying.
We continue to seek AARON PENNINGTON for yesterday's homicide of Breanne Pennington in Gardner. Believed to be driving a white BMW 320, MA Veterans plate 8A30. He may have attached one of the following plates to the car: Texas DTZ3103, California 6CWN728. https://t.co/3MMZu9o1xZ pic.twitter.com/KaVwg4wQ91
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) October 23, 2023
Surveillance footage later showed Aaron Pennington fleeing the scene around 8.50 am in a white BMW 320 sedan which the police since discovered in a wooden area.
However, it was unoccupied and after clearing the car, STOP Troopers, MSP K9 Unit teams, and the MSP Air Wing conducted a search of the surrounding wooded area and did not locate Pennington," MSP said in a news release.
Police found shell casings at the scene, but did not find any weapon. Breanne was known to have a gun in the home for protection, police documents reportedly stated.