New Hampshire man pleads not guilty to Vermont murder

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt. (WCAX) – A New Hampshire man pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in Vermont Tuesday, a charge that, if convicted, could send him to prison for life.

Police say Paul Lachapelle, 28, of Littleton, originally from Springfield, Vermont, was paid in cash and drugs to kill Justin Gilliam, 38, in Springfield in June 2022.

Court documents say Gilliam was shot in the head before his body was dumped on an embankment beside a rural dirt road.

Asked why it took police two years to make an arrest, Windsor County Prosecutor Ward Goodenough cited the complexity of the investigation.

“This includes the execution of search warrants and fairly extensive interviews. The Vermont State Police Major Crimes Unit demonstrates a level of rigor that our office deeply appreciates,” Goodenough said.

Court documents indicate the case may be linked to other shootings and drug trafficking in the Springfield area.

Goodenough declined to say whether additional charges were pending, citing an ongoing investigation.