Who is Ron Powers? Manhunt underway in murder of author's wife on hiking trail as cops release suspect's profile
CASTLETON, VERMONT: Ron Powers, an Emmy and Pulitzer-winning author and journalist, mourned the loss of his wife Honoree Fleming who was murdered on a hiking trail days before what would have been the couple’s 45th wedding anniversary.
"Those of you who knew her know that she was beautifully named. I have never known a more sterling heart and soul than hers. She has taken far more than half my own heart and soul with her," Powers wrote of his wife in a Facebook post.
What was Honoree Fleming's cause of death?
Honoree Fleming, a retired dean and professor of Castleton University, Vermont, was found dead on Thursday, October 5, at around 4.30 pm while she walked on a trail near the campus.
The 77-year-old was wearing black pants, a white and blue striped shirt, and black sneakers.
An autopsy conducted by the state medical examiner determined Fleming's manner and cause of death to be a homicide with a gunshot injury to the head.
Authorities release new profile of suspect in Honoree Fleming's murder
Vermont State Police are intensifying their efforts to locate an unidentified red-headed man who is suspected of shooting Fleming to death.
Authorities stated that the suspect description released initially over the weekend has been updated.
As per the latest description, the suspect is currently described as a White male with "short red hair" different from the initial description of a man with dark hair, according to Fox News.
The suspect who wore a dark gray T-shirt and appears to be in his late 20s is about five feet 10 inches tall. Carrying a black backpack, he headed north along the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail, which leads directly to the Vermont State University Castleton Campus.
Law enforcement authorities are seeking anyone who was on or near the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail on the day of the murder to come forward to provide information about the suspect.
Police are also appealing to local hunters to review their game cameras and requesting residents and business owners in the vicinity to check both home and commercial security footage for any signs of evidence that may have been recorded on October 5.
"Some of these tips are gonna pay off. Some of the sightings are gonna pay off," Vermont State Police Major Daniel Trudeau said on October 6, Friday.
Authorities are also seeking tips and information from anyone who may have seen Fleming on the day of her murder.