On the night of October 2, 2022, a knock came at the door of the motel room where Brian Billings, a 37-year-old Caucasian male, lived with his fiancée and their two young children in South Burlington, Vermont. An argument erupted between Billings and the man at the door, a former neighbor named Denroy Dasent. The confrontation was brief and ended tragically when Dasent allegedly fired a gun, striking Billings, who then collapsed and died on his kitchen floor.
The sudden violence shattered the evening within the walls of the Swiss Host Motel & Village.
Known to his loved ones as "Little B," Brian was remembered as a gentle, funny, and kind man. He was a talented artist and a skilled carpenter, always willing to lend a hand to his devoted circle of family and friends. His family described him as someone who "loved with everything he had and was loved deeply." He was a father to three children.
The suspect, 52-year-old Denroy Dasent, was apprehended by police later that same night following a car chase. His arrest was not only for the death of Billings but also in connection with another fatal shooting that had occurred just hours earlier in Burlington. During a police interview, Dasent claimed that Billings had previously made an inappropriate comment about his daughter, offering a possible motive for the deadly encounter.
Dasent was subsequently charged with second-degree murder in the death of Brian Billings, to which he pleaded not guilty. Investigators recovered a pistol from Lake Champlain that they believe Dasent discarded before his arrest. The weapon was linked to his wife and matched the caliber of shell casings found at the scene of the crime. Dasent, who had prior criminal convictions, was not legally permitted to own a firearm.
