Hadley Crime Suspects Identified, Drugs Involved

Author: Campus Editor in Chief

The Middlebury Police Department identified the two key suspects in the Nov. 29 robbery and assault of a sophomore Hadley Hall resident, marking significant progress in an investigation that has spanned three months.

Police Chief Tom Hanley said yesterday that the Department has information placing the two out-of-state perpetrators on the Middlebury College campus the day of the crime.

A witness, who went unmentioned in initial police statements, "has knowledge that places the perpetrators at the scene," Hanley said.

Hanley called the incident "an intentional act," saying that the suspects were not just "predators probing the campus for targets."

Despite the Department's initial reluctance to label the crime narcotics-related, Hanley said yesterday that "clearly drugs were involved," most likely marijuana.

Bringing the case to trial largely hinges on the cooperation of the victim and this third-party witness, but the Department has encountered difficulty in compelling them to testify.

Hanley said, "We are running into some problems with the lack of cooperation on the part of the witness and the other party [the victim] … revolving around the use of narcotics in this case."

"With the victim and the witness out of state, we can't compel them to testify or to cooperate with the investigation," he said.

"We need them [the victim and the witness] to be more forthright and provide information on the perpetrators," Hanley said. He added that the victim and the witness might fear "self-incrimination in other criminal acts they've been involved in" if they were to testify or cooperate with the investigation.

To Hanley's knowledge, only the witness has secured legal representation.

"We're dealing with reluctant folks who have pecuniary interests in mind," said Hanley.

Director of Public Safety and Associate Dean of Student Affairs Lisa Boudah said that she has remained in "close contact" with Hanley throughout the investigation. Because the police are the "lead investigators," she said that her office has "deferred to them as to how and if I share information with the greater community."

Boudah commented, "Through the investigation it became apparent that there was less and less of a direct threat to the community."

She admitted that the Department of Public Safety was aware of "varying levels of drug activity on campus," but added, "If this is anything more significant, then we're more concerned." Boudah said that it remains unclear whether this incident was part of a larger campus drug operation.

The Department of Public Safety "would like to share information needed by the community, but we're walking the line between how much we can share without jeopardizing the police investigation," Boudah said.

In the November crime, the two perpetrators allegedly entered the victim's Hadley dorm room, rummaged through his belongings and struck him on the head with a weapon before leaving with a laptop computer and other miscellaneous items. The victim was treated at Porter Medical Center.

The incident prompted the Department of Public Safety to lock all exterior entrances to College dormitories, a safety measure which drew criticism from the Student Government Association (SGA).

A Community Council sub-committee on public safety is now investigating alternate plans for securing the dorms while maintaining an open and accessible campus.