Robert J. Francis, 75, was found to have died on February 10, 2025, in Whitingham, Vermont, and investigators later treated his death as a homicide after a May tip to the Vermont State Police. Francis and his 30-year-old roommate, Justin Stacy, lived near the intersection of Vermont Route 100 and Corse Road. Stacy’s brother, who also lived at the house, told police he witnessed Stacy assault Francis that morning, left for several hours, and returned to learn from his brother that Francis was dead.

Stacy gave conflicting statements to police, at one point claiming the death was an assisted suicide; his story changed multiple times. Prosecutors charged Stacy with second-degree murder and providing false information to a police officer; he pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail. Earlier, Stacy had been charged in 2022 with simple assault for throwing a cell phone at Francis and causing an injury.

Was anyone in the Whitingham area aware of the men’s living situation or of escalating behavior in the months before February 10?