Police: NH woman helped Vt. murder suspect escape

A New Hampshire woman is charged with helping her former fiancé escape after police say he shot and killed a Springfield, Vt., man.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150423/NEWS02/704239857

Police: NH woman helped Vt. murder suspect escape By Susan Smallheer Staff Writer | April 23,2015 KEENE, N.H. — A New Hampshire woman is charged with helping her former fiancé escape after police say he shot and killed a Springfield, Vt., man. Kristin Walsh, 29, of Keene, N.H., was arraigned Wednesday morning from the Cheshire County jail. She will enter pleas to the charges next week. Walsh is charged with two felonies — hindering arrest and witness tampering — that accuse her of helping Gregory A. Smith, 30, of Springfield, escape from police. She allegedly tried to intimidate her apartment mates into lying to police about Smith’s whereabouts after he had fled. Walsh was arrested Tuesday night, according to Vermont State Police. Smith remains at large, and is believed to be driving a stolen white Buick Rendezvous with New Hampshire license plates. Police said Smith is wanted on a charge of second-degree murder for the death of Wesley Wing, 37, of Springfield. Wing was shot four times in the chest after he confronted a different girlfriend of Smith — not Kristin Walsh — over alleged drug activity at their home. According to documents filed in Keene District Court, Walsh’s apartment mates told Vermont State Police detectives that Smith was at Walsh’s apartment on Sunday, that he was a frequent visitor to the apartment at 33 Page St. in Keene, and on Sunday spent most of his time in Walsh’s bedroom. One resident at the address, Johnathan Vargas, said Walsh told him he needed to help Smith. Vargas told police Smith told him Sunday he “had caught a body a day ago.” Saturday was the day Wing was shot. When Vargas asked Smith if he was joking, the police affidavit said, Smith replied, “Why would I be joking?” Kassaundra Fulgoni, 25, who lived with her fiancé, Vargas, told police that when she woke up Sunday, Smith was there with Walsh. “While Smith was in the residence Fulgoni overheard him tell Walsh ‘I destroyed my life,’ and that he was in a fight during which he ‘let off five shots,’” which she took to mean he had shot someone, the affidavit said. Vargas told police that Smith departed either late Sunday or early Monday, and took without permission a 2004 white Buick Rendezvous that Vargas had borrowed from a friend. After Smith left, police said, Walsh gathered the apartment’s other occupants “and told them they all needed to have a ‘story’ and that tomorrow (Monday) ‘they’ are going to kick our door down,” the affidavit stated. “Walsh further directed them that they needed to be in agreement with what (they) were going to say,” and that they were to deny “everything” and tell the police that had not seen Smith in a couple of weeks. Walsh told police at first that she had an “on-again, off-again” relationship with Smith, but that they had broken up “years ago” when Smith was jailed for stealing cars. Walsh told police she didn’t remember what had happened Friday, Saturday or Sunday because of an “ongoing health issue.” Walsh, who herself has a lengthy criminal record, including theft and “riot,” is on probation for her role in a severe beating of a firefighter in Keene last year. She didn’t appear in court in person Wednesday, but appeared through video link from the jail. Judge Edward Burke said a hearing will be held in a week, when Walsh can enter a plea to the two felony counts. He ordered her held on $20,000 cash bail. Walsh was not represented by an attorney during the hearing Wednesday morning. Keene police arrested Walsh on Tuesday after Smith had fled. Police, armed with an arrest warrant for Smith based upon the investigation by Springfield police and Vermont State Police, had gone to the Page Street home early Monday, but Smith had already gone. Police Smith left behind near Walsh’s place the black Infiniti he was driving at the time of the fatal shooting late Saturday afternoon in Springfield, and stole the white Buick Rendezvous. The judge ordered Walsh, if she makes bail, not to associate with Vargas, Fulgoni or other residents of 33 Page St. in Keene.