Vermont State Police said they have received over 200 tips as they continue their search for the person who killed Honoree Fleming, a retired dean and professor who was married to best-selling author Ron Powers.
An autopsy showed that Fleming, 77, of Castleton, died from a gunshot wound to the head on Thursday afternoon. She was found on the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail about a mile south of the Castleton campus of Vermont State University.
A witness reported a possible suspect was northbound on the trail walking towards the campus after gunshots were heard, police said. The witness described a 5'10" male with short, red hair, last seen wearing a dark gray T-shirt and carrying a black backpack. State police said he is considered to be armed and dangerous.
State police said detectives have been interviewing potential witnesses, nearby residents and people who were on the trail around the time of the shooting. On Monday, search teams canvassed the rail trail in search of any additional evidence that might prove relevant to the investigation.
“The tips have been all over the map. Some possible sightings, some possible names, and those are things we’ve looked into throughout the past few days," Vermont State Police Major Dan Trudeau said during a press conference Monday afternoon.
Police also released three new photos of Fleming on Monday that were provided by her family.
Vermont State Police have been working with outside agencies, including Castleton police, Fair Haven police, game wardens with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife and New England K9 Search and Rescue.
They said tips from the public continue to be a "crucial component" of the case, and anyone with information is asked to call state police at 802-773-9101. Detectives are specifically looking to speak with anyone who was on the rail trail between 3-5 p.m. last Thursday. Anonymous tips can be submitted online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
Fleming was a beloved retired dean of education and researcher “with countless papers published," the university said in a statement Friday.
She also was the wife of Powers, who co-wrote the book “Flags of Our Fathers," about the men involved in the famous flag-raising during the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima. A Pulitzer Prize winner in 1973 for criticism as a television-radio columnist, he also wrote a biography of Mark Twain and collaborated with the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy on the politician's memoir, “True Compass.” More recently, Powers wrote “No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America,” about his sons' battles with schizophrenia.
Fleming died days before what would have been the couple's 45th wedding anniversary.
Her husband said she was walking on her favorite trail.
“There is an area-wide dragnet out for her killer,” Powers posted online Friday. “Police believe that it was random, but all possibilities remain open.”
He added, “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.”
Police said Fleming's family is asking for privacy at this time.
