Joshua Ray Many was a man with a passion for adventure and anything with a motor. Known for his infectious smile and charisma, he was described by his family as fiercely loyal and always willing to help a friend. The 37-year-old White/Caucasian male was a proud father who loved to brag about his three daughters. He enjoyed hunting, listening to music, and tinkering with cars, trucks, and anything else he could make move.
His family and friends remember him as a giver of hugs, something you were guaranteed to get if he saw you.
In the early morning hours of May 10, 2025, police in Swanton, Vermont, received 911 calls from a residence on 4th Street. First responders arrived at approximately 3:15 a.m. and discovered Joshua Many, who had been staying at the home for a few weeks, dead inside. An autopsy later determined his cause of death was a gunshot wound to the torso, and his death was ruled a homicide.
According to court documents, the shooting followed an argument. Joshua’s fiancée, Katrina Montgomery, told investigators she was in the home when she heard a dispute between Joshua and another resident, Mitchal Shedrick, in an upstairs room. She then heard a gunshot. Montgomery reported running upstairs and hearing Joshua say, “You shot me,” and then, “Why did you shoot me?” as he came out of Shedrick’s room holding his chest. He made it to a downstairs room before he collapsed. Another witness told police the two men had been bickering for over a week about a drug debt.
Vermont State Police took Mitchal Shedrick, 52, into custody at the scene. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Joshua’s death. Authorities indicated they believed the shooting was an isolated incident and that there was no further threat to the community. Some neighbors noted that the home where the shooting occurred had been a source of trouble in the area.
On May 12, 2025, Mitchal Shedrick was arraigned in Franklin County Superior criminal court, where he pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder charge. His attorney suggested a possible self-defense claim. The judge ordered Shedrick held without bail pending a further hearing. As of May 2025, the case was proceeding through the court system.
