On a cold December evening in the small town of Eden, Vermont, the tranquility of Griggs Road was shattered by the sound of gunfire. It was approximately 10:20 p.m. on December 1, 2022, when Vermont State Police were dispatched to a residence to investigate the reports of shots being fired. Upon their arrival, they discovered the body of 66-year-old David Peatman, a White/Caucasian male, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest.
The initial investigation suggested that the individuals involved in the shooting had fled the scene immediately after the incident. Authorities were quick to assure the public that they believed this was a targeted event and that there was no broader threat to the community. An autopsy performed at the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in Burlington would later confirm that the cause of Peatman's death was indeed a homicide. This confirmation set in motion a dedicated investigation to uncover the circumstances that led to the violent end of a man who had been a licensed land surveyor and was remembered by friends and family for his energetic and gregarious nature.
In the course of their investigation, law enforcement identified a person of interest: 44-year-old Shawn Allen Rich of St. Johnsbury. Rich was taken into custody on the same day of the murder, but on charges unrelated to the homicide, which included cocaine possession and resisting arrest. Despite a request from the Caledonia County state's attorney to hold him, a judge released Rich on $300 bail. Following his release, he failed to appear for two scheduled court appearances, a fact that drew public scrutiny due to his extensive criminal history, which included numerous failures to appear in court. As the investigation into David Peatman's death continues, no arrests have been made directly in connection with the homicide. The case remains open and active, with authorities still seeking information from the public to bring closure to a case that tragically cut short the life of a beloved father, husband, and friend.
