Pod Insights Dark Downeast The Murder of Kenneth "Kenny" Jerome (Vermont) About this episode Kenneth Jerome got up that summer morning in 2005 and said goodbye to his girlfriend and children, just like he did every day. He set about his usual chores on the farm, just like he always did, and he expected to feed the cows, like he had for years. But July 7th was not like every other day. Kenny’s routine was pierced by a single gunshot wound that stole him from the family, friends, and community who loved him fiercely.
Now 20 years later, no one has been charged with his murder. In this small Vermont town, suspicion has run rampant for years, but suspicion alone has yet to rise to the level of an arrest.
If you have information about the unsolved homicide of Kenny Jerome, please contact Captain J. P. Schmidt at the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit at (802) 244-8727. Tips may also be submitted anonymously by texting the keyword VTIPS to 274637 or via the form.
Transcript Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:01 Kylie Low? Every case starts somewhere. A small town, a missing persons report, a family asking the same questions over and over. But sometimes, a story reaches beyond its own community. Its impact extends further, calling for more attention, more conversation, and a wider audience. That's what Crime Junkie does every Monday. Ashley Flowers and Brett Preawat cover the cases you can't stop thinking about, from unsolved murders to missing people to investigations that still need answers. Because every new person who hears the story is another chance to uncover the truth. Listen to Crime Junkie every Monday, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:45 Kylie Low? Kenneth Jerome got up that summer morning in 2005 and said goodbye to his girlfriend and children just like he did every day. He set about his usual chores on the farm, just like he always did, and he expected to feed the cows like he had for years. But July 7th was not like every other day. Kenny's routine was pierced by a single gunshot wound that stole him from the family, friends, and community who loved him fiercely. Now, 20 years later, no one has been charged with his murder. In this small Vermont town, suspicion has run rampant for years, but suspicion alone has yet to rise to the level of an arrest. I'm Kylie Low,
1:28 Kylie Low? and this is the case of Kenneth Kenny Jerome on Dark Down East.
1:43 Kylie Low? As of this episode's original recording, no one has been arrested or charged with any crimes as it relates to the murder of Kenneth Jerome in 2005. The names you're about to hear have long been associated with the case in publicly available source material. All individuals are innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law. The morning of July 7th, 2005, started out like any other for a 33-year-old Kenneth Jerome. Kenny, as his friends called him, was a farmhand at Diamond Hill Custom Heifers Farm in Sheldon, Vermont. According to reporting by Molly Walsh for the Burlington Free Press, Kenny helped care for over 2,000 cows raised for other farmers, and one of his primary duties included feeding the large herd.
2:29 Kylie Low? Kenny's girlfriend, Jennifer, worked at the farm too. I spoke to her on the phone as part of my reporting for this case, and the audio quality is not the greatest, but it's really important you hear parts of this story in her words. Here's Jennifer.
2:44 Speaker 01 We got up that morning, like any normal morning. Got the girls ready. Gave each other a kiss, said I love you.
2:52 Kylie Low? Jennifer and Kenny had a seventh-month-old daughter together named Caitlin. Kenny also had a strong bond with Jennifer's daughter from her previous relationship. Both girls went with Jennifer to the barn each morning as mom took care of the calves. Jennifer and Kenny would cross paths throughout the day, just glimpses and waves across the farm. Around 10 a.m., as Kenny set off towards the barn where hungry heifers awaited their morning feast, one of the farm's owners, Terry Magnin, asked Kenny to catch up with him and the other farmhands when he was done to help them finish up their chores before lunch. Jennifer saw Kenny just as she was finishing up for the morning and breaking for lunch with her daughters.
3:34 Speaker 01 And I remember looking in the rearview mirror as I was pulling out of the barn, and he was in the payloader loading up another wagon full of feed. And I looked in the rearview mirror, I looked right at him, and he looked at me and we waved.
3:48 Kylie Low? As far as Jennifer remembers, that was around 11:00 or 11:30 a.m. Around 12:30 that afternoon, Kenny still hadn't returned from feeding the cows. As Leon Thompson reports for the St. Albans Messenger, Terry's first thought was that Kenny was having some trouble with the tractor or other equipment. Seems like things were prone to break down on a working farm, but as a guy who loved tinkering with engines on his muscle cars, Kenny would have been well-suited to deal with any issues on his own. Still, Terry, followed by his other farmhands Travis and Alex, went to go check what the holdup was. As he approached the barn, Terry saw the tractor, still idling, but no Kenny.
4:33 Kylie Low? He thought maybe Kenny went into town to grab a part for the machinery, but that thought was quickly chased from his mind when he finally spotted him, laying face down on a dirt path between the cattle feeding bunk and a patch of tall grass. Terry ran to check on Kenny, but he wasn't breathing. Terry bolted back to his house and yelled for his wife Joanne Magnan to call 911. Questions raced in the minds of Terry and Joanne and the other farmhands. Was it a medical event? Some sort of accident? How long was Kenny lying there? Would he be okay? As paramedics arrived at the farm and attempted lifesaving measures, the last question received a heartbreaking answer. Kenny wasn't going to be okay, and it was clear why.
5:17 Kylie Low? First responders could see that Kenny had one single gunshot wound to his chest. Kenny had been shot. With that, Vermont State Police were called to the scene to begin an investigation into Kenny's sudden, tragic, and downright suspicious death.
5:34 Kylie Low? Kenny Jerome had been a farmhand at Diamond Hill for almost a decade. He first met the owners, Terry and Joanne Magnan, in 1997 when their nephew introduced him. The farm needed help, Kenny wanted to work on the farm, and so the pairing was perfect for all involved. He was quickly woven into the very fabric of the farm and the Magnan family itself. Later, according to Erica Jacobson's reporting for The Free Press, Joanne would refer to Kenny as her fourth son. She said Kenny idolized her husband Terry, and he was critical to the farm's day-to-day operations. In addition to working on the farm, Kenny also lived in one of the big farmhouses located on the property. When he wasn't taking care of the cows,
6:16 Kylie Low? he was most likely found under the hood of one of his Ford Mustangs or laying some rubber on the pavement of Franklin County's back roads. Kenny loved cars, loud engines, and working hard on the farm. Soon, he fell in love with something, or rather, someone, too.
6:35 Kylie Low? Jennifer Miller, which was her last name in 2005, had been in the farming community for years. In fact, her former husband, Dennis Harnes, and his family owned the farm next door to the Magnins. When conflict in their marriage had Jennifer and Dennis heading for divorce, she decided to distance herself from the Harnes family and got a job working at the Magnins farm instead, taking care of the newborn calves. That's where Kenny met Jennifer.
7:03 Speaker 01 At first, when I met him, we actually didn't really hit it off.
7:09 Kylie Low? As Jennifer explained it to me, Kenny sort of held it against her that she was associated with the Harnes family and their farm. She admits that they were both straight talkers, didn't beat around the bush about anything, and they didn't see eye to eye on much at first. But that changed one summer after a water balloon fight turned into flirting and then turned into romance. Soon, they were an item. Kenny and Jennifer were dating when they learned that Jennifer was pregnant.
7:38 Speaker 01 His first response wasn't something that I really expected. I was a little nervous at first, but then it turned out absolutely awesome. But when I told him I was pregnant, he basically looked at me and he's like, "We don't have a house yet. We're not supposed to do this this way." And then within five minutes, he's like, "Oh, my gosh, I'm gonna be a dad."
7:56 Kylie Low? It was a dream he didn't even fully realize he had for himself until he was in it. Their baby girl became Kenny's world.
8:04 Speaker 01 He looked right at her and he's like, "That's my Gooby." And just the pride and the happiness and the tears, like, it was something I will never, ever forget. Never forget.
8:16 Kylie Low? That nickname Kenny gave her, Gooby, has held it strong two decades later. Kaitlyn and Jennifer and Kenny all lived in the big farmhouse together, along with Jennifer's daughter she shared with her now ex-husband Dennis. Kenny's daughter was just seven months old when Jennifer opened her front door on July 7, 2005 and was greeted by two Vermont State troopers. Jennifer could hear what they were saying, but she didn't believe it, not at first. She accused the officers of playing a cruel joke. It was a waking nightmare that Jennifer has been unable to escape even now, 20 years later.
8:53 Speaker 01 The man that I love, the father of my child, is dead. And now somebody can take any sort of gun and look through a scope and know that there's a human being at the end that had never done anything to anybody that just wanted to live his life and pull the triggers beyond me. I'll never understand it.
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10:33 Speaker 02 You know that thing where you're scrolling the internet and suddenly you're three hours deep into a celebrity lawsuit?
10:38 Speaker 03 Where you hear a courtroom term and think, wait, what does that actually mean?
10:42 Speaker 02 I'm Eliza Orland, career public defender.
10:44 Speaker 03 And I'm Taya Johnson, law professor and legal analyst.
10:47 Speaker 02 And on our brand new podcast, Criminally Online, we break down the law behind the stories you can't stop talking about.
10:54 Speaker 03 No legal degree required, just curiosity. Find Criminally Online wherever you get your podcasts.
11:10 Kylie Low? As the investigation into Kenny's death swiftly began in the small rural Vermont town about a dozen miles from the United States-Canadian border, state police assured the public that while the shooting was considered suspicious, there was no need for the public to be concerned for their safety. According to Adam Silverman's reporting for The Free Press, investigators did not disclose if they were looking at anyone in particular, or if there was an obvious motive from the outset. However, they also had no reason to believe the shooting was random. Other people were on the farm at the time, but Kenny was the only person shot, and police believed he was the intended target. Investigators didn't say much about the investigative efforts or focus of the investigation in
11:53 Kylie Low? the first 48 to 72 hours, but newspaper reporters observed authorities from the Vermont Forensic Laboratory using metal detectors to scan the ground at the scene, presumably looking for bullets, shell casings, or other evidence. The autopsy and ballistics analysis later determined that Kenny was shot sometime between 11:00 a.m. and noon on the day he was found, and likely died within minutes. The killer used a 22-caliber rifle and fired it between 65 and 80 yards away from where Kenny was driving a tractor. Police categorized it as a medium-to-short-range shot and posited that it was within the skill level of people who hunt or target shoot.
12:37 Kylie Low? The bullet trajectory indicated that the shooter was likely located on or near a rock ledge on a neighboring property to the east of the farm, covered by trees and vegetation that could have concealed the killer. A search at the presumed location of the shooter on the ledge itself did not provide any evidence relevant to Kenny's death, but of course investigators didn't stop at the property line. As the investigation crossed into the weekend, detectives were seen at a house and on land located next door to the Magnin Farm. An update from police indicated that evidence was collected as part of searches at several properties and locations nearby the scene, and that evidence could be tested at the Vermont
13:22 Kylie Low? Forensic Laboratory to see if it held any answers as to who fired the single fatal shot at Kenny. Now the house and some of the property searched by police was owned by Stephen and Shirley Harness. Their son Dennis lived in the house at the time. That's Dennis Harness, as in Kenny's girlfriend's ex-husband. The following week, on July 12th, Vermont State Police announced that Kenny's suspicious death was in fact a homicide. Police may not have been saying if there were any suspects in the murder, but the town of Sheldon and many of its 2,200 residents had drawn their own conclusions already.
14:03 Kylie Low? In the days after Kenny's murder, frustrated with a lack of arrest, unknown messengers tossed small slips of paper into public spaces around town with a two-word demand, quote, "Hang Harness," end quote. Over a month passed without an arrest for Kenny's murder. His loved ones, including his mother Lois and his girlfriend Jennifer, laid him to rest at a tearful memorial service that perfectly honored the man who loved Mustangs and roaring engines. A friend driving Kenny's beloved 1996 Ford Mustang GT performed a ceremonial burnout on the pavement, leaving two thick, black tracks from the rear tires, just as Kenny would have done.
14:48 Kylie Low? That August, the small town, still reeling from the tragic loss, was shocked once again by the report of another shooting. There were no fatalities or injuries, but the incident was very obviously connected to Kenny's death. The shooter himself later admitted it. Around 2:45 a.m. on Friday, August 19th, 2005, Billy Harness woke up to the sound of loud music coming from outside, so she went to go see if she could identify the source of the ruckus. From the view of her second-floor bedroom window, Billy saw a car out in front of the house. And then she heard a loud kabang sound. She recognized it as a gunshot.
15:31 Kylie Low? Billy said the car drove off as she went downstairs, but it came back soon after. Whoever was inside that car fired a second shot, and it hit a desk inside her house. Police tracked down the suspect vehicle with the shooter inside around 3:20 a.m. He tried to run from police, going 85 miles per hour down the rural street, but he lost control of his car and crashed off the side of East Sheldon Road. State police arrested Timothy Callen for the shooting. The investigation into the incident revealed that Timothy had been drinking at an establishment called The Abbey in Sheldon that night and later went to or planned to go to another bar called JD's Pub. He was apparently upset over Kenny's death that night.
16:15 Kylie Low? They knew each other because Timothy's cousin Travis was also a farmhand at Diamond Hill. At some point after returning home from the bars, in an emotional state over the murder of Kenny, Timothy grabbed his loaded rifle and drove over to the harness residence. He fired at least two shots at the house. Timothy told police that he wasn't planning to shoot at the harness's home that night, and he was sorry that he'd done it, but he was upset that nobody had been arrested for Kenny's murder. He believed a member or members of the harness family were responsible. Now Timothy's blood alcohol content at the time of his arrest, a few hours after the shooting, was .179, more than twice the legal limit.
16:58 Kylie Low? So in addition to aggravated assault, Timothy was also charged with driving under the influence and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer. He entered a not guilty plea in St. Albans District Court, but later changed that plea to guilty and hoped the judge would show mercy at his sentencing. Although earlier reporting states that Timothy apparently had conscious awareness of his actions on the night of the shooting, his final story was that he blacked out from drinking and didn't have any idea how the loaded gun got in his car. He said the last thing he remembered was wanting to go to JD's Pub, and the next thing he knew, he was in police custody. Timothy's attorney explained that they'd since heard that someone at the bar that night
17:41 Kylie Low? had egged Timothy on about Kenny's murder not being solved, which instigated this act of violence that was well outside of his true character. Timothy was ultimately sentenced to 15 months to four years with all but 15 months suspended for the aggravated assault charge, and three months to one year to serve with all but three months suspended for DWI. He was also ordered to pay $900 in restitution, and he received eight days' credit for time served.
18:08 Kylie Low? The house Timothy shot at that night was the home of Billy and Dennis Harnes, and it had been searched as part of the investigation into Kenny's murder. Search warrant affidavits that were previously sealed unveiled the truth about the police investigation of Kenny's unsolved case and where much of the early attention was focused. When police searched the Harnes home, they were looking for papers, plans, or writings that may show a plot for killing Kenny. They ended up seizing guns belonging to the Harnes family, as well as Dennis Harnes's truck. If the rumors running through town that the Harnes family allegedly had something to do with Kenny's murder, it's not hard to see where those rumors came from, whether
18:52 Kylie Low? or not they were built on truth. The reality, though, was that no one had been named a suspect in Kenny's death, and no one was in jail for it, not a Harnes, and not anyone else. But when Timothy shot at the house, a member of the Harnes family was incarcerated for an entirely different but potentially relevant crime. A little over two weeks before the shooting, on August 2, a urine sample provided by Dennis Harnes tested positive for the presence of cocaine, which was in violation of his probation, so he was sent to prison. Why was Dennis on probation at the time?
19:35 Kylie Low? We need to talk about the arsons. Jennifer gave a candid interview as part of a September 25, 2005 article by Erica Jacobson published in the Burlington Free Press. Jennifer openly wondered if her part in helping police investigate several arson fires had caused a chain reaction that ended in Kenny's murder. She feels the same way today.
20:02 Speaker 01 I was thinking if I didn't say anything, this would not have happened.
20:08 Kylie Low? One of the first fires broke out at the home of Dennis's brother, Thomas Harness, on January 24th, 1999. According to court records, around 10:00 PM that night, Dennis got dropped off at his brother's house on East Sheldon Road in Sheldon while Thomas was out of town with his family. Dennis went into the basement, lit some of Thomas's clothes on fire, and then left. The house was a total loss. Then about two years into Dennis and Jennifer's marriage, after two kids and a handful of discussions about wanting to buy a new home, Jennifer said her husband had an idea. They should burn down their current home and use the insurance money to buy a brand-new one.
20:53 Kylie Low? Jennifer said that on September 7th, 2001, she lit a cigarette, placed it in an ashtray, and dropped the whole thing into a trash can in the bathroom. She'd barely reached the end of the driveway when she saw smoke coming from the house. Dennis and his brother Thomas were volunteer firefighters at the time and responded to the fire, which resulted in a $23,000 insurance payout. Dennis and Jennifer put the funds towards a new home. Jennifer said that Dennis made her feel like it was "normal and acceptable" to burn down their house for insurance money, but that wasn't the life she wanted to live. About a year after the fire, she got that job at Diamond Hill Farm next door to the Harness Farm, and she and Dennis got a divorce.
21:36 Kylie Low? It was a very contentious divorce. There was documented animosity between Dennis and Jennifer, and eventually Kenny. One court document authored by Sergeant Edward Meslin reads, quote, "I feel that the Harnesses hate both Miller and Jerome," end quote. And then in June of 2003, a fire broke out on Diamond Hill Farm. The investigation determined the fire was intentionally set. That's when Jennifer decided to go to the police and tell them about the arson she knew about, that she knew her ex-husband had something to do with setting. After disclosing her own role in the 2001 fire at the home she and Dennis shared,
22:21 Kylie Low? and details of the fire at her former brother-in-law Thomas's house in 1999, Jennifer agreed to wear a wire and record conversations with her and Dennis. Jennifer was given immunity for her part in the fire in exchange for testimony and cooperation with the investigation. Jennifer helped record several conversations with Dennis in which they discussed or mentioned the suspected arson fires, and those recordings were part of the evidence supporting the arrest of Dennis Harnes in November of 2003. Jennifer says that's when the threats began.
22:58 Speaker 01 I kept trying to get restraining orders. Those guys would run me off the road. They'd drive by pretending to shoot at us, like the most evilest things you can think of.
23:07 Kylie Low? According to reporting by Lee J. Claus for the St. Albans Messenger, in April of 2004, Thomas was charged with obstructing justice, stalking, and aggravated assault. All but the stalking charge was dismissed by the state because a farm worker had apparently told police that Thomas was milking cows on the Harnes farm on the day in March of 2004 when Jennifer was supposed to have been threatened by him in the alleged finger gun incident. However, that witness later recanted and said that Thomas made him provide the false alibi. Thomas pleaded guilty to the stalking charge in September of 2004. He was sentenced to nine to 12 months of probation. Jennifer ended up testifying against Dennis, as expected,
23:52 Kylie Low? at his first arson trial in January of 2005 for the charge relating to the fire she admitted to having part in setting at their home. Jennifer testified that Dennis was part of plotting at least six total fires between June 7, 1996, and September 28, 2002, as a way to make some money from insurance payouts. The family farm was struggling. Dennis was found guilty of one count of arson for instructing Jennifer to light their home on fire. He was sentenced to two to five years suspended with probation. And remember, he violated that probation in August of 2005, landing him in prison, where he was when Timothy Callen fired two shots at his house.
24:37 Kylie Low? Dennis would have faced a second arson charge at trial in the fall of 2005 relating to the fire at his brother's home in 1999. However, he changed his initial not guilty plea to no contest and went straight to sentencing. Dennis claimed that burning his brother's home wasn't about the insurance payout. He was jealous. He said he felt like an outsider in his own family and he was struggling with substance use at the time. At his sentencing hearing, Dennis said he was very sorry and asked for mercy. He wanted the court to see how hard he'd worked to turn his life around since. The judge sentenced Dennis to two and a half to 10 years in prison. He also had to pay restitution to the insurance company.
25:19 Kylie Low? As for his probation violation, he was given credit for time served and another probation period consecutive to the arson sentence. As far as I can tell, no charges were ever filed for the suspected arson fire in June of 2003 at Diamond Hill Farm, the incident that spurred Jennifer into talking to police in the first place. Meanwhile, Dennis's brother, Thomas, was facing new charges of obstruction of justice for a separate incident of alleged witness intimidation. Leon Thompson reports for the St. Albans Messenger that Thomas was accused of threatening another potential witness in Dennis's arson case. The witness had reportedly driven Dennis to Thomas's house on the night the fire was
26:03 Kylie Low? set there and picked him up afterwards. And court records show Thomas allegedly followed this other witness in his father's truck, put his hand into the shape of a gun, and pretended to shoot her. The witness said she was even more fearful of the threat after Kenny was shot and killed. Thomas originally pleaded not guilty to obstruction of justice but updated that plea to no contest in January of 2006. This change was part of an agreement that the state would not bring any charges against him for coercing that alibi for the earlier incident against Jennifer Miller.
26:39 Kylie Low? He was sentenced to one to five years with all time suspended, except 90 days on daily interrupt. I haven't seen this a ton in my many years of reporting on criminal charges. So if it's a new term for you too. Daily interrupt service meant that Thomas had to report to prison from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM every day for 90 days. The sentence was in consideration of Thomas's commitment to group counseling, completion of a domestic abuse program, and his role on the family dairy farm. Needless to say, there was a lot of history between Jennifer and the Harness family. At the time, she believed that Kenny's murder was a message to her, an attempt to get her to leave town. Or, as she told me recently,
27:24 Kylie Low? alleged retaliation for leaving her ex-husband and his family.
27:29 Speaker 01 And all I was trying to do was what was right. Somebody tried burning down our employee's barn. Definitely said it was an arson attempt. If we had any information on who may have done it. I was just trying to do what was right. And I kept telling the DA, I kept telling the cops, something bad's gonna happen. But I thought it was gonna happen to me.
27:54 Kylie Low? For the avoidance of doubt, investigators have not confirmed any connection or correlation between Kenny's murder and the arson charges against Dennis Harness. No one has been named a suspect in Kenny's murder, and no one discussed in this episode, nor anyone connected to these individuals, have been charged with any crimes connected to Kenny's staff.
28:23 Kylie Low? I'm going all out with holiday decorations this year because when our family comes over for our Christmas party, I want all the kids to walk into lights and sparkle absolutely everywhere. They're at that age where the magic feels so real, and I want those memories to stay with them. I'm especially excited to get a train to go around the base of our tree, just like I had as a kid. I found the most perfect one, plus ornaments, garland, other tree essentials, all of it. Wayfair. Wayfair makes it easy to find high-quality holiday decorations for every style and budget. Their Wayfair Verified Selection helps you find pieces that stand up to real life, and millions of verified customer ratings and photos to help you choose what works for your home. For all things hosting, Wayfair delivers high-quality, customer-trusted
29:07 Kylie Low? products for your home, so you can host and celebrate without the stress. When refreshing your home this holiday season, Wayfair delivers exactly what you need. Head to wayfair.com to shop all things home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I-R dot com.
29:25 Speaker 02 You know that thing where you're scrolling the internet and suddenly you're three hours deep into a celebrity lawsuit?
29:30 Speaker 03 Where you hear a courtroom term and think, wait, what does that actually mean?
29:34 Speaker 02 I'm Eliza Orland, career public defender.
29:36 Speaker 03 And I'm Taya Johnson, law professor and legal analyst.
29:40 Speaker 02 And on our brand-new podcast, Criminally Online, we break down the law behind the stories you can't stop talking about.
29:46 Speaker 03 No legal degree required, just curiosity. Find Criminally Online wherever you get your podcasts.
30:02 Kylie Low? In September of 2005, the same month that Dennis pleaded no contest to the arson charge relating to the fire at his brother's home, and two months after Kenny's murder, police announced that the Magnins and Jennifer were offering a $9,000 reward for information in Kenny's death. But if it generated any leads, those leads did not produce an arrest. A few months passed, and in January of 2006, Timothy Callen began serving his combined sentence for convictions stemming from his shooting at the Harnes home. He was placed in the Lee Adjustment Center in Beattyville, Kentucky, where some incarcerated individuals from Vermont were sent in the case of overflow. Turns out, the Kentucky prison had another
30:46 Kylie Low? inmate from Vermont at the same time, none other than Dennis Harnes, whose house Timothy shot at. Lee J. Carr's reports for the St. Albans Messenger that Timothy and Dennis were in the very same unit. During a hearing on Timothy's request for a sentence reduction, he told the judge that he had shaken Dennis Harness's hand, apologized for the shooting, and received what he seemed to interpret as "understanding" from Dennis. Timothy explained to the judge that Dennis "understood" that other people had put Timothy up to shooting his house that night. Timothy's allegation was that Jennifer Miller and Timothy's cousin Travis, a farmhand who
31:29 Kylie Low? was living with Jennifer at the time, had "put something in his drink" and provoked him to violence. When she was asked about this allegation at the time, Jennifer said she wasn't at the bar with Timothy on the night he shot at Dennis's house. She was home with her young children, and Travis was home too. She was surprised to hear that Timothy and Dennis were in the same unit at the Kentucky prison, but not surprised that the men wanted to blame her for Timothy's actions. She felt like she was often blamed for things she had nothing to do with. Timothy's cousin Travis also responded to the allegations that he was part of instigating Timothy on the night he shot at the Harness's home.
32:11 Kylie Low? Travis said that he was, in fact, staying at Jennifer Miller's home on the night of the shooting. And although Timothy stopped by along with another cousin of theirs, Travis said he was out getting a pizza at the time and never saw Tim or their other cousin, and did not convince or influenced him to shoot the Harness's house. As a side note but still related, Travis also claimed that Timothy was never friends with Kenny. That was just an excuse he believed Timothy concocted after he came to in jail with a realization of what he did. Travis also felt that Timothy's supposed friendship with Dennis while incarcerated was probably just so he'd feel safe once he was released. In a rare public comment in June of 2006,
32:55 Kylie Low? Dennis's father, Stephen Harnes, said, "At this time, I guess I have just one statement to make, and that is, we have cooperated 100% with the police, and we know in the end that the Harnes family will be cleared of all the false accusations made about us." End quote. On the one-year anniversary of Kenny's murder, the case was still unsolved. One of the biggest issues plaguing the investigation was the murder weapon. Police hadn't found the firearm that the killer used in the shooting. Though firearms were seized during the search of the Harnes home, including a 22, the same kind of gun determined to be used in Kenny's murder, ballistics testing showed it wasn't the murder weapon.
33:38 Kylie Low? Locals suggested that police search manure pits for the firearm used to kill Kenny. But investigators said that kind of search would be a massive undertaking with apparently nothing to narrow down the search to a specific location. Detective Lieutenant Brian Miller said, "Where do you start? What farm do you start at? And who would you like to volunteer for the task?" End quote. Speaking of guns, Rick Burnham reports for the St. Albans Messenger that Stephen and Shirley Harnes, Dennis's parents, requested that the firearms seized during searches at their property be returned to them. A Franklin County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the state's request for dismissal on the grounds that that particular court didn't have jurisdiction in the matter
34:23 Kylie Low? since the original search warrant was issued in Vermont District Court. The second anniversary of Kenny's death came around in 2007 with more of the same. The reward money was never claimed, and Kenny's murder was still unsolved. Farm owner Joanne Magnin said that they'd been told by police that they needed someone to talk. All the evidence so far was circumstantial and would not support charges. They needed someone who could put all the pieces into place to bring that information to investigators. Or a confession would definitely help, as state police lieutenant Brian Miller said on the five-year anniversary, "The lack of good information certainly makes us think
35:05 Kylie Low? that there are very few people involved, and they've been quiet about it." End quote. As of that five-year anniversary, Vermont State Police were still saying that the investigation indicated Kenny's murder was intentional and targeted. But it also could not be ruled out, even at that point, that it was possibly an accident. Interestingly, there was an apparent accidental shooting about four months after Kenny's murder in St. Albans Town, about 15 miles away from Sheldon, and it shared some similar characteristics. According to Jessica Hyman's reporting for The Free Press, 60-year-old Regine Lucier
35:45 Kylie Low? was sitting in the cab of his tractor, hunting on his own land, when he was shot. An Associated Press report, published in The Times Argus, names the shooter as 19-year-old Colin Vienz. Colin first told the group he was with on the day of the shooting that he shot a coyote, but later admitted that he accidentally shot the tractor. He was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but his first trial ended in mistrial. He ended up taking a plea deal to avoid jail time before the second trial began. He was sentenced to probation, ordered to pay restitution, and was given a number of other non-prison punishments like community service. In the words of the prosecutor, Franklin County State's Attorney Jim Hughes, quote, "He's got no prior record.
36:29 Kylie Low? He's a young guy who didn't do it on purpose. This is not a murder case. This is involuntary. Screwing around with his rifle, and he ended up killing Regine Lucier." End quote. Is it possible that Kenny's death was the result of an accident? Well, as VSP has already noted, nothing has been ruled out. Yet all the circumstantial evidence suggests that Kenny was targeted on that day in July of 2005. And whoever targeted him has yet to face justice for their actions that stole a father, partner, friend, and son from those who loved him most.
37:08 Speaker 01 He's just an all-around good guy, period. A good friend, a good father, a good boyfriend, a good employee, a good son. He didn't deserve this. He did not deserve it at all. He didn't do anything wrong. It's still, it's, and it's not fair that he lays in the ground and nobody's held accountable. To me, that's not right. It won't bring him back, but I think it would bring us peace. And I think about the person who was responsible for it and they've been living their life like every day, just having a grand old time. And ever since then, we've had to struggle.
37:50 Speaker 01 And a part of me died that day too, and I just, I can't, I can't get it back.
37:55 Kylie Low? Kenny's boss and owner of the farm, Terry McNan, said at Kenny's funeral, quote, "He wanted to be a great dad, work on the farm, mow his lawn, play with his Mustangs, and bother no one," end quote. Kenny was so excited to be a dad. Many people who talked about Kenny after his death said that he was finally finding his place in life, planting his feet firmly in fatherhood and building a life for his family. He even hoped that one day, he'd see his daughter ride to prom in the 96 Mustang he'd bought. Instead, that Mustang was the car performing ceremonial burnouts in Kenny's honor at his funeral. Those cars were a big part of the best memories with Kenny that Jennifer holds on to.
38:39 Kylie Low? Him in his car, she riding in the passenger seat, music blasting, the aroma of burning rubber in the air.
38:47 Speaker 01 Yeah, we had to come up with an agreement that he was only allowed to go through one set of tires this summer. And then like, when he would go out in his Mustangs and he'd come back and he'd put his nose up in the air, because you could just smell the rubber. And he'd be like, babe, can you smell that? And he'd just be like, all hyped up, like he just won the lottery and he'd just be like, a little kid in the candy store, he'd just, he's so excited over it.
39:12 Kylie Low? Kenny's mother, Lois Jerome, reflected on the life of her son a year after losing him, remembering how he used to tear up their own family farm with his brother in the 80s. How he loved his baby girl. How wrong it was to bury a child. She told Leon Thompson of the St. Albans Messenger, quote, "Your kids don't die ahead of you, it's not natural." And now Kaitlyn won't know her father. That was the one big thing in his life. That baby. End quote. That baby is now almost 21 years old. Jennifer makes sure that Kaitlyn, Gooby, knows her dad.
39:51 Speaker 01 Yeah, she's amazing. She's, she's, honestly, Kaitlyn's the only thing that's got me through. And she is so much like Kenny. And it literally kills me and makes me so angry that she didn't get the opportunity to know her dad. Through her, I have pictures of him hanging up everywhere, I always have. I've always talked about him. I have anything and everything that I could remember about him, I tell her for the last 20 years. And I'll tell her, I know he's proud of you. I know he's proud of his girl. She's a good girl. She's got a good heart. She's, yeah, she's amazing. She's definitely Kenny's girl.
40:35 Kylie Low? If you have information about the unsolved homicide of Kenny Jerome, please contact Captain JP Schmidt at the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit at 802-244-8727. Tips may also be submitted anonymously by texting the word V-TIPS to 274637 or via the tip form linked in the description of this episode. Next week is an off week for Dark Down East. I'll return the following Thursday with a new episode.
41:17 Kylie Low? Thank you for listening to Dark Down East. You can find all source material for this case at darkdowneast.com. Be sure to follow the show on Instagram at Dark Down East. This platform is for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still searching for answers. I'm not about to let those names or their stories get lost with time. I'm Kylie Low and this is Dark Down East.
41:48 Kylie Low? Dark Down East is a production of Kylie Media and AudioChuck. So what do you think Chuck? Do you approve?
41:59 Kylie Low? In New England, investigations can shift with the tide. And my friend Delia Diambra, host of Park Predators, knows just how the landscape can shape a case. From beaches to national parks around the world, Delia investigates true crime cases as compelling as the places where they occurred. Through her signature boots-on-the-ground reporting, she goes beyond the headlines and speaks directly with those closest to the case. If you're ready to follow the evidence beyond the trail, listen to Park Predators every Tuesday, wherever you get your podcasts.
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