Man sentenced to 10 years for killing daughter’s boyfriend
RUTLAND, Vt. — A Vermont farmer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing his daughter’s boyfriend and burying his body beneath a manure pile.
Stephen Pelletier, 62, last year agreed to plead no contest to second-degree murder in a plea deal, according the Rutland Herald reported (http://bit.ly/2shdQFp).
Prosecutors said the Castleton man shot Michael Wisell, 25, on Pelletier’s farm in May 2014 while the two were stacking firewood. Investigators said Pelletier told them Wisell, of Hubbardton, Vermont, had been physically abusive to his daughter.
Judge Cortland Corsones said Tuesday that he was initially inclined to reject the plea deal to send a message that people should not take the law into their own hands. He noted that Pelletier never sought police help or a restraining order before shooting Wisell, who lived with the family.