MONTPELIER, Vt. — A prep school teacher slain after police say she responded to a call for help from a man who used to plow her driveway was severely beaten, and her body had patterned marks that appeared to come from the toe of a shoe, according to search warrant documents.
A box printed with the name of a company that sells stun guns was among the items seized from the Waterford home of Allen and Patricia Prue, who are charged with second-degree murder in Melissa Jenkins’ strangulation death. However, there was no indication in the reports made public Wednesday that police had found a stun gun.
Additional Photos
Allen Prue, 30, and his 33-year-old wife have pleaded not guilty. Police say the Prues lured the popular St. Johnsbury Academy teacher from her home on the night of March 25 by claiming their car had broken down. Jenkins’ 2-year-old son was found alone in her idling SUV; her nude body was discovered the next day in the Connecticut River.
Police have said Allen Prue killed Jenkins by the road in St. Johnsbury, and he and his wife then moved the body to their home before dumping it in the river. Police said the Prues admitted disposing and burning some of the items they used in the crime in New Hampshire, and police indicated they have found evidence to support that assertion.
The search warrant documents said Jenkins’ body has extensive bruising, and some of the bruises had “unique patterns.”
One detective who examined the autopsy photos said some bruises appeared to have a “checkerboard pattern” with 1/8 inch squares, the report said. Some of the bruises also appeared to be “rounded, like the toe of a shoe.”
The documents indicate that police have also begun an examination of computer equipment and cellphones that were seized from the Prues’ Waterford home. That examination could take months, the documents said.
The Caledonian-Record was the first to report that the documents were unsealed.
The Prues are being held without bail.
Jenkins taught science and had served as the freshman girls basketball coach at the academy, a school of about 970 students that was established in the 1840s and whose alumni include President Calvin Coolidge.
Copy the Story Link
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.