Dean Webster was 28 when he was found shot to death on Saturday, November 17, 2001, in the yard of his Sky Hollow Road home in Rochester, Vermont. A friend who had not heard from him discovered the body; the last reported sighting was the previous afternoon, leaving a limited window for the fatal encounter. The autopsy confirmed death by gunshot.

Described as a quiet, private man and an avid outdoorsman, Dean had worked as a journeyman for a piping company before a work injury. At the time of his death he was doing odd jobs, building his house, and pursuing a mechanical engineering degree. Investigators found the house open with the lights on and no obvious signs of a struggle or forced entry.

Vermont State Police have kept the investigation open and offered a reward, but no suspects have been publicly named and no arrests have been announced. The motive remains unknown. If anyone knew Dean, his routines, or saw anything in the Rochester area on November 16–17, 2001, please come forward with information.