On a Friday afternoon in the small town of Shaftsbury, Vermont, the life of 28-year-old Olanda Fitz, a Black male, came to a tragic and violent end. On November 11, 2016, authorities were called to a residence on Shaftsbury Hollow Road where they discovered two deceased men. Fitz was found in a truck on the property, while the body of Trevor Gardner, 38, of Hoosick Falls, New York, was located in the yard of the home.
Investigators from the Vermont State Police quickly determined that
the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. The investigation revealed that Gardner had driven to Fitz's home angered over a romantic involvement Fitz had with Gardner's girlfriend. It is believed that Gardner shot Fitz before turning the gun on himself.
An autopsy later confirmed the sequence of events. The Chief Medical Examiner's Office determined that Olanda Fitz's cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest, and his death was ruled a homicide. Trevor Gardner's death was caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and his death was ruled a suicide. A rifle was recovered by police in the truck with Gardner's body. No weapon was found on or near Fitz. The investigation concluded that Trevor Gardner was the sole suspect in the death of Olanda Fitz, and with Gardner deceased, no arrests were made.
