On March 15, 2017, James Laprade, a 33-year-old Caucasian male, was tragically killed in his Farmington, New Hampshire home. An autopsy later confirmed that Laprade died from a gunshot wound, and his death was ruled a homicide. At the scene, a woman was also found with gunshot wounds but was expected to survive her injuries.
The investigation into Laprade's death led to the arrest of a juvenile.
The suspect was later identified as James Belyea, who was 15 years old at the time of the incident. Belyea was subsequently charged with second-degree murder for the death of Laprade and attempted murder for the injuries sustained by the woman, who was identified as his mother, Denise Belyea.
Further details revealed that Denise Belyea and Laprade were roommates after having been in a romantic relationship. On that snowy March morning, Belyea shot Laprade twice in the head with Laprade's own handgun while he was sleeping. Shortly after, he went downstairs and fired multiple shots at his mother as she returned home from running errands.
Initially charged as a juvenile, the state of New Hampshire sought to have James Belyea tried as an adult. He was later indicted on charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder. In June 2019, at the age of 17, James Belyea was sentenced to 32 and a half years to life in prison for the murder of James Laprade and the attempted murder of his own mother. During the sentencing, Laprade's family and friends remembered him as a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who had served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
