On November 30, 2022, 23-year-old Esmae Arabella Doucette was found with a gunshot wound at the Dana Place Apartments on Route 16 in Jackson, New Hampshire. She was transported to Memorial Hospital in North Conway, where she succumbed to her injuries on December 2, 2022. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Authorities arrested 22-year-old Brandon Mitchell of Jackson, charging him with second-degree
murder for recklessly causing Doucette's death under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life. He was held without bail and was scheduled for arraignment in Carroll County Superior Court.
In February 2023, the Carroll County Grand Jury indicted Mitchell on multiple charges, including one count of second-degree murder for knowingly causing Doucette's death by shooting her, an alternative count of second-degree murder for recklessly causing her death, and one count of falsifying physical evidence. The latter charge alleged that Mitchell, believing an investigation was pending, moved or placed a bullet cartridge in the bedroom to impair its verity or availability in the investigation. Mitchell was scheduled to be arraigned on these charges on March 16, 2023, in Carroll County Superior Court.
Doucette's family described her as 'full of warmth and generosity,' with an 'enthusiastic zest for life and an infectious laugh.' They expressed deep gratitude to first responders, medical professionals, and the community of Jackson and the greater Mount Washington Valley for their support during their darkest hours.
