A woman accused of stabbing her significant other to death was in court on Thursday following her arrest.Ariana Rodger, 43, of Newport, was charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Alton Wheeler, 79, on Wednesday.Wheeler was found dead inside a home on Willoughby Lake Road on Wednesday morning.Results of an autopsy say Wheeler’s cause of death was a stab wound to the neck.Court paperwork shows that police believe Rodger went to a relative’s house in Sutton after the crime and confessed to stabbing Wheeler earlier that day. Documents show that Rodger told her family member she had been sexually assaulted prior to the stabbing. “Mr. Wheeler’s body was found in his residence by law enforcement. It had knife wounds. The defendant, according to a sworn statement made by her daughter did confess several times, admitting to stabbing Mr. Wheeler,” said Orleans County state’s attorney Samuel Swope.Rodger had previously been charged with domestic assault in 2023 and was ordered not to abuse or harass Wheeler further.Police also found a machete covered in what appeared to be blood in Rodger’s vehicle.Rodger pleaded not guilty to the murder charge as well as charges of aggravated domestic assault and violating the conditions of her release.A judge ordered Rodger held without bail. “Although she doesn’t have failure to appears on her Vermont record, she does have multiple aliases,” Swope said. “She allegedly told people in the residence not to contact law enforcement, which suggests some obstructive behavior that the state argues would also contribute to the risk of flight.”She is due back in court in two weeks as the case against her continues.
A woman accused of stabbing her significant other to death was in court on Thursday following her arrest.
Ariana Rodger, 43, of Newport, was charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of Alton Wheeler, 79, on Wednesday.
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Wheeler was found dead inside a home on Willoughby Lake Road on Wednesday morning.
Results of an autopsy say Wheeler’s cause of death was a stab wound to the neck.
Court paperwork shows that police believe Rodger went to a relative’s house in Sutton after the crime and confessed to stabbing Wheeler earlier that day. Documents show that Rodger told her family member she had been sexually assaulted prior to the stabbing.
“Mr. Wheeler’s body was found in his residence by law enforcement. It had knife wounds. The defendant, according to a sworn statement made by her daughter did confess several times, admitting to stabbing Mr. Wheeler,” said Orleans County state’s attorney Samuel Swope.
Rodger had previously been charged with domestic assault in 2023 and was ordered not to abuse or harass Wheeler further.
Police also found a machete covered in what appeared to be blood in Rodger’s vehicle.
Rodger pleaded not guilty to the murder charge as well as charges of aggravated domestic assault and violating the conditions of her release.
A judge ordered Rodger held without bail.
“Although she doesn’t have failure to appears on her Vermont record, she does have multiple aliases,” Swope said. “She allegedly told people in the residence not to contact law enforcement, which suggests some obstructive behavior that the state argues would also contribute to the risk of flight.”
She is due back in court in two weeks as the case against her continues.
