In the quiet town of Hinesburg, Vermont, the summer of 2019 was shattered by a brutal crime that would unravel a story of betrayal and a meticulously planned murder. On the night of July 11, 2019, the body of 45-year-old David Auclair, a White male, was discovered in the parking lot of the LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest trailhead. The initial discovery was made after Hinesburg police responded to reports of gunshots in the area around 10:40 p.m.
Arriving at the scene, officers found Auclair near his gray 2017 GMC pickup truck, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The subsequent autopsy would confirm that these wounds were the cause of his death, and the manner was ruled a homicide.
The investigation into Auclair's death quickly pointed toward a sinister plot orchestrated by those closest to him. Suspicion fell upon his wife, Angela Auclair, and his stepson, Kory George. Investigators uncovered a conspiracy between the mother and son to murder David Auclair. The plan was set in motion when George burglarized a residence in Colchester to steal the firearm that would be used in the killing. On the night of the murder, a burner phone was used to lure David to the secluded trailhead under false pretenses. As he was being shot, it appeared he had attempted to crawl under his truck for safety.
In the days following the discovery of her husband's body, Angela Auclair reported him missing, telling police he had been called into work, a claim that was later proven to be false. As the investigation intensified, both Angela Auclair and Kory George were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and obstruction of justice, the latter charge stemming from Angela instructing at least one witness to lie to the police. The murder weapon and the burner phone were later recovered from a nearby creek, further solidifying the case against them.
The legal proceedings brought a resolution to the case, though not one that fully satisfied all who mourned David Auclair. In September 2023, Kory George pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, agreeing to testify against his mother in exchange for a reduced sentence of 18 years to life in prison. A few months later, in January 2024, Angela Auclair also pleaded guilty to the same charge. She was subsequently sentenced to 18 years to life in prison. The tragic end of David Auclair's life, a man remembered by friends and family for his love of motorcycle charity rides, left a lasting scar on the community and a painful legacy of familial betrayal.
