A homeless woman allegedly killed a shelter coordinator April 3 in Vermont by repeatedly striking her with an axe in front of her terrified co-workers.
Leah Rosin-Pritchard, 36, died after sustaining multiple injuries to her face, neck and torso, The Associated Press reported Thursday.
The resident at Morningside House allegedly attacked the coordinator with an axe and a knife in the shelter’s living area. When authorities arrived on the scene, they pronounced Pritchard dead and discovered 38-year-old suspect Zaaina Mahvish-Jammeh nearby, “wiping blood off of her hands with a paper towel,” according to an affidavit cited by The Vermont Digger.
Woman pleads not guilty to hatchet murder of #Vt shelter employee- @WCAX_Adam reports https://t.co/wTq3jvgyKD pic.twitter.com/ynA5sLYZY9
— Channel 3 News (@wcax) April 5, 2023
Authorities with the Brattleboro police reviewed surveillance video of the attack and reportedly saw Mahvish-Jammeh speaking with Pritchard just prior to the vicious killing.
“The short conversation they had was very muffled and hard to hear, but it was clear there was no argument before I could hear thudding and the screaming,” police Detective Sgt. Greg Eaton wrote in an affidavit, cited by the outlet. (RELATED: Axe Attack At Daycare Leaves 4 Children Dead, 4 Injured)
Mahvish-Jammeh, who had been reportedly living at the shelter for months prior to the attack, was arrested and initially charged with second-degree murder, before Tracy Shriver, Windham County state’s attorney, upped the severity of the charge.
“As more facts were developed, I made the decision that first-degree murder was a more appropriate charge,” Shriver stated, according to The Vermont Digger.
Judge Katherine Hayes has ordered Mahvish-Jammeh to undergo a mental health evaluation before proceeding with the case, stating that the suspect is “a danger to others and potentially to herself,” the outlet reported.
Groundworks Collaborative, who oversees the shelter, expressed their sorrow at the loss of their “irreplaceable” employee, calling Pritchard “a wonderfully strong, positive, beautiful and compassionate person.”
“There are no words to express the depth of loss felt by her Groundworks teammates and residents. Our hearts go out to her family, friends and the broader Brattleboro community who knew her,” they wrote.
Mahvish-Jammeh has pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder and is currently being held without bail, the Vermont Digger reported.