Body found in Middlesex was a Barre woman; details of her death still under investigation

July 1, 2020  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

UPDATE: On July 1, Vermont State Police said that multiple tips from members of the public led to the identification of a body found in the Winooski River in Middlesex on June 19. The remains were that of Anna Shackett Wagner, 51, of Barre, officials said. Detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances of her death, including a determination on cause and manner by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington. Police continue to ask that anyone with information about this incident call the Middlesex Barracks at 802-229-9191.

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JUNE 23 REPORT: Vermont State Police investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying a woman whose body was discovered on Friday in the Winooski River in Middlesex.

New details were released Tuesday indicating that the deceased is a white woman, about 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 206 pounds, and believed to be 30-50 years old.

The body was found by passersby late Friday afternoon. A state police recovery team removed the remains on Saturday and an autopsy was done Sunday at the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington. 

So far, police say they don’t know who the woman was and that the remains do not match anyone previously reported to be missing. 

The state police say the cause of death is pending and the medical examiner needs to conduct further testing that includes examining dental records and DNA in an attempt to identify the individual. “It is unclear how long the woman had been deceased at the time the body was found,” police spokesman Adam Silverman said in Tuesday’s news release.

Other key details released on Tuesday describe a number of tattoos on the body. The woman had the names “Sue” and “Patty” tattooed on her left forearm. Other tattoos on her body include a red and blue butterfly, a pink and yellow five-petal flower on her right foot with leaves going up her ankle, and two roses on her right wrist. She was wearing a large ring on her right index finger with a carved face and headdress, according to the police statement.

The body was located near 31 Welch Park Drive in Middlesex, a side road along U.S. Route 2 near the confluence of the Mad and Winooski rivers. The spot is adjacent the Middlesex Fire Department station, across Route 2 from the Middlesex State Police barracks and near the Park and Ride lot at the Middlesex exit of Interstate 89.

Police ask that anyone who might have information about the woman’s identity or the circumstances of this incident call the Middlesex barracks at 802-229-9191.