Barre woman and ex-boyfriend dead; police suspect domestic violence

Jess Aloe | Burlington Free Press

BARRE — A woman who worked for the state's Department of Public Safety was killed early Fourth of July morning in what police say appears to be a murder-suicide carried out by her former boyfriend.

Luke Lacroix, 30, barged into the apartment of Courtney Gaboriault, 29, around 7:45 Wednesday morning, pointing a handgun at Gaboriault and her friend, Fred Longchamp, Barre Police said.

Longchamp struggled with Lacroix, police said, and managed to break free. He immediately contacted police.

Officers said they heard gunshots once they arrived at the Long Street apartment. They saw Gaboriault stumbling out of the apartment.

They pulled her to a safe location, but Gaboriault was declared dead at the scene, Det. James Pontbriand said, apparently from gunshot wounds.

Inside the apartment, police found Lacroix dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Victim is Lyndon State College graduate

Gaboriault was a native Vermonter who graduated from Lake Region Union High School in Barton in 2007, according to the statement. She held a bachelor's degree in human services from Lyndon State College. Her family lives in the Northeast Kingdom and central Vermont.

Her co-workers knew her for her good humor, love of animals and commitment to helping others.

“She was always happy to help a co-worker with any issue. She brought a sense of joy to her work and her coworkers every day,” said Jeffrey Wallin, director of the Vermont Crime Information Center, where Gaboriault worked.

Gaboriault, 29, worked for the state's Department of Public Safety for the past five years, Vermont State Police spokesman Adam Silverman said. She had worked as the administrative services coordinator with the Vermont Marijuana Registry for the past 18 months.

“Yesterday, Courtney Gaboriault, a valued member of the Department of Public Safety family, was killed by a former boyfriend. This was another senseless act perpetrated by a man who sought to control and dominate another person,” public safety Commissioner Thomas D. Anderson said.

'Domestic violence is about the offender's need for power and control'

Barre Police Chief Tim Bombardier said his department does not have prior reports of incidents involving Gaboriault and Lacroix.

Anderson, the public safety commissioner, said his department was committed to protecting victims of domestic violence and holding offenders accountable.

"The epidemic of domestic violence requires attention from every one of us, and victims need our full support and understanding," he said. It is important to remember that domestic violence is about the offender’s need for power and control, not a potential consequence of falling in love."

An advocacy group leader agreed, saying this is why greater awareness is needed.

"It's really important that everyone knows about domestic violence and knows the signs," said Diane Kinney, director of Circle Vermont, which assists victims of domestic violence in Washington County.

"This is somebody who would not have been suspected to be abusive," she said.

More: VT advocate: 'We forget that domestic violence is in our neighborhood'

She encouraged people to call her organization's 24-hour hotline if they were concerned about their own situation or a friend or relative's. Warning signs include overly controlling behavior, or someone who is overly critical of his or her partner.

"This happens in every echelon in our society," she said. Her group averages about 500 calls per month -- in a county with about 60,000 people.

Any Washington County resident aware of a domestic violence situation may call Circle Vermont at 877-543-9498.

Most 2017 Vermont homicides involved partner or former partner

Domestic violence is a major cause of homicide in Vermont. Ten of the state's 16 homicides last year could be traced to domestic violence, according to the Attorney General's Office.

Washington County is one of three Vermont counties to have implemented what's called a lethality assessment, a tool developed to screen victims in abusive relationships that are likely to turn deadly.

Circle Vermont runs the 24-hour hotline that police call when a victim is flagged as being in a high-risk relationship. Kinney, the group's director, said all county police departments are trained to use it.

The hotline gets calls from officers who have screened victims as being at risk for being killed on a regular basis, Kinney said.

A Burlington Free Press investigation found that police in Chittenden County failed to use the tool while responding to multiple calls for help from Anako "Annette" Lumumba in the days and months leading up to her death.

South Burlington police are still looking for Leroy Headley, who is charged with Lumumba's murder.

Domestic violence is also suspected in the murder of Thea Swartz, 54, who called 911 in May to report that her husband was pointing a gun at her.



Police found Swartz dead and her husband, Randall Swartz, injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can get help via the Vermont Network Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-228-7395.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Jess Aloe at 802-660-1874 or jaloe@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @jess_aloe



