On the evening of February 29, 2024, the life of Caitlyn Naffziger, a 31-year-old Caucasian female, was tragically cut short in a Berlin, New Hampshire apartment. Police responded to the residence at 1063 Main Street at approximately 10:30 PM, where they made the grim discovery of her body. An autopsy would later confirm that she died from a single gunshot wound to the head, and her death was officially ruled a homicide.
The immediate aftermath of the discovery led to a frantic search
for Naffziger's two young daughters, ages four and one, who were missing from the scene. Authorities believed they were with their father, 37-year-old Dustin Mark Duren. This belief prompted the issuance of an AMBER Alert early the next morning, as law enforcement feared for the children's safety and described Duren as potentially armed and dangerous. The alert galvanized the public, and citizens played a crucial role in the children's recovery.
Hours later, Duren's vehicle was spotted by observant citizens outside a restaurant in Keene, New Hampshire, roughly 170 miles from Berlin. Police were alerted, and they found Duren with the two children, who were unharmed. Duren was taken into custody without incident, and the children were secured, bringing the tense search to a safe conclusion for them. The focus then shifted to the investigation into Naffziger's death.
Dustin Mark Duren was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder for knowingly causing Naffziger's death by shooting her. He was also charged with reckless conduct with a deadly weapon and endangering the welfare of a child. Following his arrest, Duren was arraigned and ordered held without bail. After a six-day trial, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder. During the trial, prosecutors asserted that Duren shot Naffziger while she sat unarmed on his couch. Duren claimed in his defense that the shooting was to protect his children during a heated altercation. He is currently awaiting sentencing.
