Suspect in killing of TV news anchor's mother pleads not guilty

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. (AP) — A man arrested last month in Connecticut in the killing of a television news anchor's mother in Vermont last February has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

Shawn Conlon, 44, was arraigned in Brattleboro on Friday.

Claudia Voight, 73, of Windham, Vermont, died in her home Feb. 20, 2023. She was the mother of Heidi Voight, an NBC Connecticut news anchor and Miss Connecticut 2006.

Law enforcement officials initially believed Claudia Voight suffered from a medical event but later determined she died from neck compression that was detectable only during an autopsy.

Vermont State Police said Conlon rented a room in Claudia Voight's home and stopped paying rent in late 2022 but remained in the home until allegedly attacking and killing her in February 2023.

The attorney who represented Conlon at his arraignment declined to comment on the case on Saturday.