The man accused of murdering a woman in her Windham, Vermont home now wants to represent himself in court.Shawn Conlon appeared at the Vermont Superior Court in Brattleboro on Thursday as the case against him continues. He previously pleaded not guilty to the murder of Claudia Voight, 73, in February 2023.Conlon requested a new attorney last fall, but in his most recent court appearance he told the judge that he now wants to represent himself. Conlon told the judge he wanted to make motions for himself and utilize stand-by counsel to assist him. The judge encouraged Conlon to work with a new attorney instead, given the fact that he could be facing a life sentence if found guilty. Conlon will now be assigned a new public defender for his case. Conlon has been behind bars for more than a year on that murder charge. Vermont State Police said Conlon was renting a room in Voight’s home but stopped paying rent in late 2022.Investigators initially thought that Voight died of a medical event, but an autopsy later revealed that she was strangled. “She was very kind and sweet. She was a 73-year-old grandmother in her nightgown in her own home. And she was beaten and strangled to death in the place where she should have felt safest. And she’s got grandkids who miss her and are growing up without her,” said Voight’s daughter. Voight is the mother of NBC Connecticut news anchor Heidi Voight. Her family was in court Thursday and said the delays in the case have kept them frozen in time emotionally, as they wait for justice.”It’s been frustrating,” said Heidi Voight. “Tomorrow marks three years without my mom. She was killed on Feb. 20, 2023. And we are no closer to a trial today than we were three years ago. And the delays have been on the defendant’s, part. He’s fired two attorneys.”Voight said her family will continue to show up for their mom no matter how long the legal process takes.”My hope moving forward is that we get justice for my mother, that her murderer is put away for life,” she said. It is not clear when Conlon’s next court appearance will be.
The man accused of murdering a woman in her Windham, Vermont home now wants to represent himself in court.
Shawn Conlon appeared at the Vermont Superior Court in Brattleboro on Thursday as the case against him continues.
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He previously pleaded not guilty to the murder of Claudia Voight, 73, in February 2023.
Conlon requested a new attorney last fall, but in his most recent court appearance he told the judge that he now wants to represent himself. Conlon told the judge he wanted to make motions for himself and utilize stand-by counsel to assist him. The judge encouraged Conlon to work with a new attorney instead, given the fact that he could be facing a life sentence if found guilty. Conlon will now be assigned a new public defender for his case.
Conlon has been behind bars for more than a year on that murder charge. Vermont State Police said Conlon was renting a room in Voight’s home but stopped paying rent in late 2022.
Investigators initially thought that Voight died of a medical event, but an autopsy later revealed that she was strangled.
“She was very kind and sweet. She was a 73-year-old grandmother in her nightgown in her own home. And she was beaten and strangled to death in the place where she should have felt safest. And she’s got grandkids who miss her and are growing up without her,” said Voight’s daughter.
Voight is the mother of NBC Connecticut news anchor Heidi Voight. Her family was in court Thursday and said the delays in the case have kept them frozen in time emotionally, as they wait for justice.
“It’s been frustrating,” said Heidi Voight. “Tomorrow marks three years without my mom. She was killed on Feb. 20, 2023. And we are no closer to a trial today than we were three years ago. And the delays have been on the defendant’s, part. He’s fired two attorneys.”
Voight said her family will continue to show up for their mom no matter how long the legal process takes.
“My hope moving forward is that we get justice for my mother, that her murderer is put away for life,” she said.
It is not clear when Conlon’s next court appearance will be.
