On a Friday morning in Barre, Massachusetts, the quiet of Town Farm Road was broken by a tragic event that would end the life of 65-year-old Michael J. Hannon, a Caucasian male. On September 4, 2020, police received a startling 911 call from a man who confessed to having just killed another person. When officers arrived at 113 Town Farm Road at approximately 8:30 a.m., they discovered Hannon's body on the ground near his Toyota Prius, which was parked by the garage.
He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man who made the emergency call was Robert Leger, Hannon's 71-year-old tenant who lived in a small house on the same property. Leger was taken into custody at the scene and transported to the police station for questioning. Authorities stated that the act was not random. Following his admission of guilt to investigators, Leger was formally charged with murder.
Further investigation into the killing led to a series of legal actions against Leger. He was arraigned later that same day in East Brookfield District Court on charges of murder and carrying a firearm without a license. In December 2020, a Worcester County Grand Jury indicted him on multiple charges, including murder and several firearm-related offenses such as possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number and failure to secure a firearm. Following the indictment, the case was moved to Worcester Superior Court, and Leger remained in custody without bail. The investigation was a joint effort by the State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney's Office and the Barre Police.
