Vermont State Police say a man has been arrested on a second-degree murder charge related to the shooting death of 45-year-old Howard Doyle in Hancock. The suspect, 23-year-old Tanner Leary of Hancock, surrendered to authorities at the New Haven barracks on February 17, 2026, and was subsequently taken into custody.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on February 8, 2026, following a dispute involving individuals known to each other. Doyle was found deceased in a vehicle near Bettis Road, with the Chief Medical Examiner determining the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds. An autopsy confirmed the manner of death as homicide. Leary is scheduled to appear in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Middlebury for arraignment.
The Vermont Attorney General’s Office is overseeing the prosecution of this case. According to the report, the investigation remains active, and further details, including the affidavit of probable cause, will be made public following Leary’s arraignment. As the legal proceedings continue, the charges against Leary are allegations, and any court dates or charges may change as the case develops.
The Vermont hancock arrested situation continues to develop.
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Source: Vermont State Police
About this report AI-assisted
Source: Vermont State Police ↗
How this was written: This story was drafted with AI assistance from public-record sources and published under VTScout's editorial standards. Spot something wrong? Request a correction.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges and court dates are subject to change. Reporting is based on information from law enforcement and public records, and will be updated as more details become available.
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