On the evening of August 19, 2022, in the town of Brattleboro, Vermont, a violent confrontation inside an apartment complex on Putney Road resulted in the death of 32-year-old Michael Mikey R. Ledbetter, a Black male from Hartford, Connecticut. The initial call to police reported a shooting, and upon arrival, officers discovered Ledbetter's body on the lawn of the housing complex. He was unresponsive and bleeding, having been shot.
The man who pulled the trigger, Nicholas Baker, was identified at the scene, having been the one to call 911.
In his initial statement to investigators, Baker claimed that he had acted in self-defense. He told police that Ledbetter, whom he did not know, had forcibly entered his apartment and attacked him. According to Baker's account, a handgun fell from Ledbetter's pocket during the altercation. Baker stated that he then grabbed the firearm and, as Ledbetter advanced toward him, he fired an unknown number of shots. After being shot, Ledbetter reportedly jumped out of a window.
However, the investigation that followed cast doubt on Baker's version of events. While no immediate arrest was made for the shooting, Baker was taken into custody for a probation violation. A subsequent search of his apartment uncovered 50 bags of fentanyl and a Bersa 9mm handgun. This led to federal charges against Baker for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Months later, in February 2023, the investigation into Ledbetter's death culminated in a grand jury indictment. Nicholas Baker was officially charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors stated that they did not believe his claim of self-defense was valid and that the two men had, in fact, known each other. The specific reason for Ledbetter's presence at Baker's apartment that night was not publicly disclosed. Baker pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, as well as several felony drug charges, and is being held without bail.
