Anybody hear about this Melissa Jenkins murder? (WARNING: may be hard to read)

[Snake Alchemist]

St. JOHNSBURY, Vt. — A snowplow driver and his wife went to great lengths to dispose of the body of a popular teacher they had just beaten and strangled, putting her nude body on a tarp, pouring bleach on it, weighing the corpse down with concrete blocks and tossing it into the Connecticut River, court documents allege.

Allen Prue, 30, and his wife, 33-year-old Patricia Prue, were riding around when he got the idea "to get a girl," a police affidavit said. They are accused of luring single mother Melissa Jenkins from her home by pretending their vehicle had broken down. Her vehicle was found idling Sunday with her unharmed 2-year-old son inside. The child apparently witnessed at least part of the attack.

The couple pleaded not guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder in the death of Jenkins, a 33-year-old science teacher at the prestigious St. Johnsbury Academy, and unauthorized burial or removal of a dead body. More charges are possible, police said.

People in the close-knit communities of northeastern Vermont had been speculating about the crime and who was responsible.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/29/melissa-jenkins-lured-by-allen-and-patricia-prue_n_1387536.html

Please, please, please do not leave your home if a stranger comes to the door asking for help. Make a phone call, but do not actually leave your home.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. This is only second degree?

Why wouldn't it rise to the first degree level?

My Gawd, what senseless killing.

[Snake Alchemist]

4. No idea. Maybe they thought that it would be a sure thing to get a conviction on a 2nd

but not on a 1st.

[chowder66]

9. The investigation is still ongoing

so the charges could be upgraded.

[RebelOne]

14. It seems it was a premeditated murder,

which is usually considered a 1st degree crime.

[chowder66]

2. This is so utterly tragic.

It's just sickening what humans do to one another.

I'm glad they caught them.

[Snake Alchemist]

5. What kind of person says let alone thinks "Let's get a girl"

These two should both be breaking rocks for a lifetime.

[Quantess]

10. And then picks a 33 year old woman as their victim.

That's scary. Once I got to be 30 I figured I was a lot safer from predators.

[mainer]

3. The fact a woman was on the murder team may have made the victim feel safer.

Women are far more likely to trust other women. Certainly, we don't think that another woman is going to murder us.

[Snake Alchemist]

7. Good point. Would not have occurred to me. nt

[Bluerthanblue]

6. yes-

not terribly far away from here.

It's good that they were able to make an arrest(s) so fast.

incredibly sad-

[flakey_foont]

8. Just awful

What a senseless tragedy!

[Broderick]

11. Horrific

What the F is wrong with people.

[Gormy Cuss]

12. They weren't exactly strangers. Jenkins had hired Allen Prue in the past.

Prue made Jenkins feel uneasy and she declined to hire him again.

His wife called Jenkins and that may have been why she went against her instinct. One reason the cops looked at the Prues is that Jenkins told her ex where she was going that day. Had she not made that call the cops would have had a much harder time connecting the dots.

[Spazito]

13. Very tragic and good advice on your part re leaving one's home...

I am glad the murderers have been caught, arrested, charged and will be tried in a court of law.

[Justice wanted]

15. OMG

[Booster]

16. According to the article, these stupid people put their own clothes in the tarp

with the body. Just how dumb do you have to be to do that? I hope they are throwing each other under the bus in about a week. Assholes.