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Brutal Murder Rocks Tight-Knit N.H. Town
WBUR ^ | BoB Oakes

Posted on 10/11/2009 12:46:11 AM PDT by nickcarraway

A rural community of about 2,300 residents near the Massachusetts border is reeling in the wake of the random, grisly murder of a woman and the maiming of her 11-year-old daughter — allegedly at the hands of four teenagers.

Prosecutors said the teenagers picked the home at random in the early hours of Sunday morning because it was isolated from the main road, and they intended to kill whomever was inside.

Kimberly Cates, a 42-year-old nurse, was slain in her bed. Her daughter, Jaime, is recovering from surgery at Children’s Hospital in Boston. She is expected to survive.

The news was a “complete shock” to the entire town, said John Quinlan, chair of the board of selectmen. “It’s very much that bucolic, Norman-Rockwell-type New England setting.”

On Tuesday, prosecutors charged Steven Spader, 17, and Christopher Gribble, 19, on murder and attempted murder charges. Both are being held without bail. Their two cohorts — William Marks, 18, and Quinn Glover, 17 — are facing burglary and armed robbery charges.

“You look for rhyme, you look for reason, you look for some kind of logic behind it and there just isn’t any,” Quinlan said. “There was no real cause behind this other than somebody went out to do an act of pure evil.”

What makes this tragedy even harder for the town, Quinlan said, is that Mont Vernon is a tight-knit community. Quinlan and his family knew the Cates well: their daughters were in school together and the two families often shared meals and weekend holidays.

“That’s, I think, what makes it the most terrible, because this is not something that’s abstract and far away,” Quinlan said. “A lot of people knew (them) and know them to be good people and nothing like this should ever happen to anybody.”

The school has been offering counseling to students who know Jaime and Quinlan said the town is working out their plans to help members cope.

In addition to grief, Quinlan said many people in town have been feeling vulnerable, and many are probably changing the security around their homes now.

“This brings it home,” Quinlan said, “that people who do bad things are everywhere, not just in big cities.”


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; US: New Hampshire
KEYWORDS: murder; newhampshire; teenmurderer
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1 posted on 10/11/2009 12:46:12 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

‘maiming’ ? Sounds like there is some mind drugs available in this community.


2 posted on 10/11/2009 12:53:18 AM PDT by Westlander (Unleash the Neutron Bomb)
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To: nickcarraway

If there was ever a time for the entire town to storm the jail, remove those little bastards from their cells and administer some good ol’ fashioned frontier justice, this is it.


3 posted on 10/11/2009 1:06:00 AM PDT by mkjessup (U.S. Labor Dept: 16 to 24 year old unemployment rate was 53.4 percent last month! YAY 0bama!)
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: nickcarraway

This sounds like a horror movie. Prayers up for her dear soul and may God sustain her daughter.


5 posted on 10/11/2009 3:02:48 AM PDT by RU88 (Bow to no man)
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To: nickcarraway

Emo bromance thing going.

Don't like your parents? Light out. Live on the streets of LA. Live in the woods. Hook up with pot growers in Alpine, California. Sleep on the beaches of Hawaii. Get a job in New Bedford on a boat, Alaska.

6 posted on 10/11/2009 3:15:20 AM PDT by Leisler (It's going to be a hard, long winter)
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To: Global2010

You’re pathetic.


7 posted on 10/11/2009 3:23:33 AM PDT by America always
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To: Global2010

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/national/northeast/view.bg?&articleid=1203806&format=&page=1&listingType=natne#articleFull


8 posted on 10/11/2009 3:26:34 AM PDT by Westlander (Unleash the Neutron Bomb)
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To: Leisler

Are those horns on the first perp ?


9 posted on 10/11/2009 3:28:18 AM PDT by Westlander (Unleash the Neutron Bomb)
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To: nickcarraway

Products of the local government school system, yobs in search of a little recreational ultraviolence.


10 posted on 10/11/2009 3:50:16 AM PDT by zipper
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To: nickcarraway

Insanity: Hang ‘em High.

Why are not all 4 of them charged with the murder?


11 posted on 10/11/2009 4:00:53 AM PDT by Venturer
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To: Venturer
"Why are not all 4 of them charged with the murder?"

It has been less than a week.

The DA office is going after them in a pretty careful and systematic way. They were on site for at least four days collecting physical evidence.

Something in the local paper late last week hinted that there may be others implicated, perhaps more arrests.

12 posted on 10/11/2009 4:15:37 AM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: billorites

Clockwork Orange


13 posted on 10/11/2009 4:37:25 AM PDT by spokeshave (Obama can't unjump the shark)
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To: nickcarraway

Where did these goons come from?


14 posted on 10/11/2009 4:45:57 AM PDT by RoadTest (Religion never saved anyone, and never will.)
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To: nickcarraway
In my wildest dreams, I never thought the Hutu m.o. would come visit Mt.Vernon, NH, a mere 20 miles from where I live.

When one believes there's a bottom to which the barbaric depths of humanity can sink, along comes this butchery.

15 posted on 10/11/2009 4:46:25 AM PDT by Lovely-Day-For-A-Guinness (Eenie meanie, chili beanie, the spirits are about to speak....)
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To: nickcarraway
many are probably changing the security around their homes now

The alarm system is just to wake you up. It's up to you what to do after that. Have a plan.

16 posted on 10/11/2009 5:48:38 AM PDT by Sender (It's never too late to be who you could have been.)
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To: RoadTest

You can feel it in another article where one father said he was real worried about his son and was told he was being evaluated while at the jail. The only evaluation that father should be waiting for is to hear that his son is room temperature and that his son is beginning (beginning) to pay his debt to that woman and her daughter. The other fathers should do the same.


17 posted on 10/11/2009 6:01:23 AM PDT by healy61
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To: Global2010

I’m Catholic and and I take great offence at your comment about Mormons.

Go back to DU, ACORN, or whoever is paying you.


18 posted on 10/11/2009 6:10:04 AM PDT by FormerACLUmember (When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.)
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To: nickcarraway

I say we bring back drawing and quartering just for this crew.


19 posted on 10/11/2009 6:19:19 AM PDT by The Duke ("Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Democrat Party?")
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To: nickcarraway
From a few days ago....

N.H. prosecutor: Evidence does not support death penalty charge

20 posted on 10/11/2009 6:22:04 AM PDT by mewzilla (In politics the middle way is none at all. John Adams)
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