Honoree Fleming, a 77‑year‑old retired university dean, was found fatally shot on the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail about a mile south of Vermont State University on October 5, 2023. Her body was discovered around 4:30 p.m., and an autopsy determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head; investigators have classified the death as a homicide.

Vermont State Police lead the investigation. A witness reported hearing gunshots and seeing a man walking north on the trail toward the campus around the time of the killing, producing a composite of a person of interest described as a White male, about 5 feet 10 inches, in his 20s, with short red hair, last seen in a dark gray T‑shirt carrying a black backpack. Police have warned he may be armed and dangerous and offered a substantial reward; detectives have followed hundreds of tips and have compared the description with a suspect in an unrelated Arkansas case, but no link has been confirmed.

The community and Fleming’s family continue to seek answers and justice. If anyone saw activity on the rail trail that afternoon or recognizes the composite, please contact investigators with information.