In the quiet landscape of Vermont, the life of 54-year-old David W. Shores, Sr. came to an unexpected and violent end on December 11, 2016. A long-time resident of the area, he was known as a skilled mason who had started his own family business, Shores Masonry Inc., back in 1987. He took great pride in his work and in passing the trade down to his family, just as his father had taught him.
Beyond his profession, he was a man who found joy in the outdoors, often spending his free time hunting, fishing, or boating on Lake Champlain or Lake St. Catherine with his loved ones. He was a true family man, devoted to his wife and children, and had a deep affection for his animals and a taste for country and classic rock music.
The circumstances of his death, however, painted a much darker picture than his peaceful hobbies would suggest. David was fatally shot at his home in Mount Tabor. Initially, his death was shrouded in uncertainty, but the subsequent investigation brought the truth to light. The person responsible was someone intimately close to him, his wife of 30 years, Peggy Lee Shores. The investigation revealed that she was standing at the top of the basement stairs and fired a gun at her husband as he was walking up.
Following an investigation, Peggy Lee Shores was indicted in 2017 on charges of fatally shooting her husband. Her defense claimed that David had tripped while carrying the gun up the stairs and accidentally shot himself. Despite this, and after a prolonged legal battle, she ultimately pleaded no contest to a charge of manslaughter in October 2020. This plea was part of a deal offered by prosecutors. As a condition of the agreement, she acknowledged the set of facts that the prosecution would have presented at trial, including the detail that she fired the weapon. Some members of David's family had previously appeared in court to show their support for her.
