In the early moments of a June night in 2018, the life of a 24-year-old Caucasian female named Billy Jo Ahearn was tragically cut short in Rochester, New Hampshire. Around midnight on June 5th, Ahearn was walking on South Main Street when a dispute between two groups of people erupted in violence. In the ensuing chaos, a single gunshot wound struck her.
First responders arrived to find her on the sidewalk and she was quickly transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The investigation into her death quickly determined it to be a homicide. Authorities revealed that Ahearn was not the intended target of the shooting. Evidence suggested the bullet was meant for a man she was with, who had been involved in an argument with the suspect the previous day. The investigation involved a search of the Cocheco River by New Hampshire Fish and Game divers as police worked to piece together the events of that fatal night.
An arrest warrant was issued for Justin Belanger, who was 19 at the time of the shooting. He was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder for knowingly and recklessly causing Ahearn's death. Belanger stood trial for the killing, and in October 2021, a jury found him guilty. During the trial, it was argued that Belanger had been with two other individuals who fled the scene. Ultimately, Justin Belanger was sentenced in May 2022 to 30 years to life in state prison for the murder of Billy Jo Ahearn.
