Michelle Gardner-Quinn News Archive - October-December 2007

2007 News Articles: October-December (21 articles)

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UVM Remembers Michelle
Courtesy of Michelle's Earth Foundation

The following activities took place on the UVM campus in remembrance of Michelle on the anniversary of her murder:

An Eco-Concert was held during Parents' Weekend with $1 of proceeds going to MEF.

On Friday, Oct. 12th there was a candle light walk from Main St. to the fountain on the Green where a small memorial was cared for throughout the past year. Michelle's, This I Believe Essay, was read. A permanent plaque will designate the fountain as a place of reflection, healing and hope for the campus community. Members of the Burlington community also participated. Nearby a Siberian Spruce was planted and will be marked with a plaque saying “Always Remembered, Michelle Gardner-Quinn.” Another similar plaque at the Slade environmental house will mark a newly planted plum tree.

On Friday, Oct. 13th Brad Miller of the Outing Club led a hike over the trails Michelle walked during Transfer Trek the year before. The hike culminated in a Bar-B-Q on the Green that afternoon.

Throughout the month of October Brad Miller will be leading hikes dedicated to Michelle's memory. As part of the experience, he will be talking about Michelle's environmental beliefs.

The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, located in Bittersweet, is dedicating its soon-to-be installed perma culture garden to Michelle.

**Also, "MEF held a Going Local potluck September 29 to honor Michelle and her beliefs. It was very mellow, like Michelle, with lots of good, locally grown food from gardens and farmers' markets here in Arlington."

Vigil traces slain student's footsteps
Published: Saturday, October 13, 2007
By Nick Martin, Burlington Free Press Staff Writer

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 708 kb / 1:30)

A year after the death of University of Vermont senior Michelle Gardner-Quinn, her father, John-Charles Quinn, and about 100 others walked from Burlington City Hall up Main Street to campus -- the path Michelle took the night she was abducted and killed.

"There is a great difficulty in this, but a great joy at the same time," Quinn said of the walk. "I've seen a videotape of Michelle walking up this street, right here," he said as the group passed Perrywinkle's Fine Jewelry, where a security camera last recorded Gardner-Quinn walking with the man police believe killed her. "Those are the last images I have of her, and this walk evokes those feelings very strongly.

"But at the same time we're doing this not just to remember her, but also to say, we love Burlington," he said. "We need to make sure it is a safe place for our young people. We need to make sure it stays a green and beautiful place, as Michelle wanted."

UVM environmental studies professor Cecilia Danks said she felt lucky to have known Gardner-Quinn and to have had her in class.

"After her death, I really felt the need to rededicate myself in my work with the environment, because she was so committed to it," Danks said. "So I think taking this walk that she couldn't complete is symbolic of us doing the environmental work she didn't have the chance to complete."

Just past the jewelry store a banner hanging across Main Street displayed the words, "October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month."

"This is important," Quinn said, as he pointed to the banner. "We need to be aware of that. If people had been aware of Brian Rooney's behavior in the past, this might never have happened," he said of the suspect in his daughter's death.

Annie Stevens, UVM assistant vice president for campus and student life, spoke to the group as it gathered at the fountain on the Green. "One year ago we were here mourning the tragic loss of Michelle," she said. "Tonight we are dedicating this fountain as a place of remembrance."

Stevens presented Quinn with the photo of his daughter that has stood at the fountain since her death and announced the placement of a permanent plaque to remember her.

The emotional gathering came to a close with candles illuminating the tear-streaked faces of four UVM students as they each read a portion of Gardner-Quinn's environmental essay, "This I believe."

Local College Increases Security
POSTED: 12:06 am EDT October 12, 2007
UPDATED: 12:21 am EDT October 12, 2007
WPTZ TV Plattsburgh

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Champlain College has hired a new security staff to cover the campus 24-hours a day.

The college has been planning the changes for sometime, in the wake of a UVM student Michelle Gardner-Quinn's kidnapping and murder. It used to rely solely on private security guards, but those guards now report to a full-time staff of officers on campus.

The college hired retired Burlington police lieutenant Rich Long to head campus security. Long was a 21-year veteran of the force, overseeing the city's detectives.

Vigils Planned Friday for Slain UVM Student
Burlington, Vermont - October 12, 2007
WCAX-TV Channel 3

The University of Vermont, and the city of Burlington will remember Michelle Gardner-Quinn today.

It was one year ago this week that the UVM senior was kidnapped, raped and murdered as she walked back to campus after hanging out with friends.

Friday night classmates, teachers, friends and the community will gather at City Hall park in Burlington at 6 p.m. They will march up Main Street with candles, ending at the UVM Fountain. There Michelle's photo will be returned to her family and a plaque will be placed at the fountain.

Michelle's "I believe" statements will also be read.

We will have LIVE coverage Friday night on the Channel 3 News at 6.

Michelle Gardner-Quinn's Legacy Lives On
Burlington, Vermont - October 12, 2007
WCAX News Channel 3

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 1.3 mb / 2:42)

It's been one year since a UVM student was abducted and killed after a night out with friends. Friday night, the UVM community is honoring Michelle Gardner-Quinn with a march and a candlelight vigil.

the dark and dreary weather ..... XX students, faculty and community members gathered at City Hall park for a memorial vigil. The goal of the evening is to honor and remember the smart young woman who was passionate about life and determined to make a difference.

The UVM senior disappeared last year as she walked back to campus after a night out with friends, her body was found six days after she went missing. The 21-year-old was last seen walking up Main Street with Brian Rooney, who has since been charged in her death.

Friends and family say it's now time to remember Michelle and the issues she stood for.

"Tonight is really about remembering Michelle, and is also a time to reflect back on the campus and the loss we experienced, and the loss her family experienced, but also a time to move forward and to really mark the anniversary of her tragic death, but to also find some hope,"said Annie Stevens

The plan is to march up Main Street to the UVM green.

While there, a plaque will be placed at the fountain designating it a place of reflection, healing, and hope for the UVM community.

We'll have complete coverage of the dedication on Friday night's news at 10:00 and 11:00.

Candlelight Vigil Honors Michelle Gardner-Quinn
Burlington, Vermont - October 12, 2007
Bianca Slota - WCAX News

A year after violence shook the University of Vermont community, students and staff remembered the legacy of Michelle Gardner-Quinn. Dozens of people took part in a candlelight vigil, Friday night, to honor the 21-year-old whose life was cut tragically short.

"We are here tonight to complete the walk that Michelle didn't get to complete last year," UVM's assistant vice president for student and campus life, Annie Stevens, told the crowd gathered near City Hall.

Gardner-Quinn was on her way back to campus the night of October 7, 2006, when she disappeared. Police found her body six days later - she had been beaten and raped.

"But of course much of what we remember from Michelle is also the radiance of her legacy. Her passion her commitment to the earth and it's betterment," said university president, Dan Fogel.

Lighting candles and sharing hugs students talked not about fear or violence, but about moving forward, and honoring the 21-year-old as best they can.

"I didn't not know her personally but my gosh for every person I meet whose life she touched and who is inspired by the passion that she had when she was alive, you know, I think it's - I feel like I know her," said Kesha Ram, a UVM senior, and student government president.

Making their way up Main Street some walked in silence, some spoke quietly with friends, and all reflected on what the loss meant to them.

"For me it's just been about having my own ideas about why this is not okay reaffirmed by my peers, by my friends, which is a really good experience for a community," said Phillip Ortego, a UVM junior.

At the Howard Fountain on the UVM campus, the group heard Michelle's passion for the environment in her own words - read from a college essay she wrote just days before her murder.

As the crowd began to dwindle down, Gardner-Quinn's father quietly made his way through the crowd, remembering happier times, before his daughter was taken. He laughed about walks in the rain he and Michelle would take in their hometown of Arlington, Virginia.

A new plaque will replace the temporary memorial set up last year near the fountain. The plaque will dedicate the fountain as a place of reflection and peace. It's the final step in a journey Gardner Quinn started, and the UVM campus finished for her.

Gardner-Quinn scholarship fund two-thirds of way to endowment goal
Monday October 8, 2007
Vermont Public Radio / AP

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - A scholarship fund established in memory of slain University of Vermont student Michelle Gardner-Quinn has raised $55,000 in the year since her death.

The 21-year-old student's parents -- John-Charles and Diane Gardner Quinn -- set up the fund to help students like their daughter, who had a strong interest in environmental issues.

If the fund reaches $100,000 it will meet UVM's requirement for a permanently endowed scholarship fund.

Yesterday was the first anniversary of Michelle Gardner-Quinn's abduction, sexual assault and killing. Former Richmond resident Brian Rooney is charged in the crimes and is awaiting trial.

© Copyright 2007, Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

UVM Remembers Michelle Gardner-Quinn 1 Year Later
Burlington, Vermont - October 8, 2007
Rachael Morrow -- WCAX

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 1.2 mb / 2:34)

It was a year ago this week that University of Vermont student Michelle Gardner-Quinn was reported missing.

Six days later, her body was found by hikers in the Huntington Gorge. She had been raped, beaten and strangled.

"It was just devastating. It was a terrible tragedy, a terrible loss...for all of us," remembered Cecilia Danks, a professor at the University of Vermont.

She remembers a student who was bright, engaging and committed to making a difference in the world.

"She was a very talented, very articulate person. She was an athlete, and a musician, as well as a really good student," said Danks. "I just remember her smile, and her graciousness, and her,you know, willingness to engage with folks."

Gardner-Quinn was a passionate environmentalist who is remembered for her devotion to nature.

Since her death, "Michelle's Earth Foundation" has been established in her name. It's designed to make people more aware and more involved in the environment.

Her parents have also established a scholarship in her name.

Gardner-Quinn was only on campus for one semester, but she left a lasting mark behind.

"Definitely remembered, definitely talked about all the time, so it's not something that's been forgotten," said UVM student Sarah Henry.

"It's one of our own, you know? You can feel it," remarked Dan Monette, another student.

And she's not likely to be forgotten anytime soon.

"There is sort of that, that sadness that is there- for me at least," said Keiti Botula, who ate lunch with Gardner-Quinn once. "I guess it's just a reminder for me to live life to the fullest, 'cause I think that everyday that's I've had is a day that she didn't get to have."

"We really miss her. It was a real loss, and made all the more because she died violently, and she was so committed to human life, and to other people and the environment, that it makes her death all the more tragic," said Danks.

Plea made to end violence
Published: Monday, October 8, 2007
By Sara Buscher
Burlington Free Press Staff Writer

From his place at the pulpit of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington on Sunday morning, sunlight reflecting angled shadows of the windowpanes on the wall behind him, the Rev. Gary Kowalski stepped forward.

"On a bright, beautiful sunlit day like this, it is hard to believe that there can be so much darkness in the human heart," he began. "It was one year ago today, in the early hours of the morning, that Michelle Gardner-Quinn stopped a passer-by and asked to use his cell phone." Kowalski continued the story of Gardner-Quinn's disappearance after a night out with friends, and the heavy days that followed until her body was found.

Parishioners listened, tight lipped, heads tilted. Some closed their eyes, some focused on the flame of the oil lamp burning at the front of the meetinghouse.

"My wife, a criminal attorney, has no problem walking into a jail cell with a convicted felon. But she does have a problem walking at night on the bike path behind our house," Kowalski said.

Kowalski said religion bears responsibility for its longstanding role in creating the current culture of male supremacy, a culture that victimizes women.

"It's not just women who are victims; the men are also damaged. We're buying into, not real manhood, but a macho pose, with an underlying insecurity." The damage can be healed, Kowalski added, "when we're able to sit down, and see each other's whole humanity, and accept each other."

Kowalski passed the microphone to Mark Redmond, executive director of Spectrum Youth and Family Services in Burlington, who recited the litany of "if-onlys" following the Gardner-Quinn tragedy. "If only her cell phone had been charged; if only she hadn't been separated from her friends ... what's missing is, nobody's saying 'Why are so many men harming women?'"

Spectrum, best known for its programs for homeless youths, also works extensively with men convicted of battering, Redmond said.

It's an effort to change the belief system that "men are in control; men have the right to control women with force if necessary," Redmond said. "Many of the children (who receive Spectrum services) come from homes with abusive circumstances. Fifty to 70 percent of men who batter their wives, abuse their children." Redmond also cited the video game series Grand Theft Auto and World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. as cultural influences promoting violence against women.

"At what point does free speech cross the line to promoting hate crime?" Redmond asked. "We need to start somewhere. We need to say, 'Enough.' Especially men."

"It's past the point of teaching women to protect themselves; it's about getting men to have the awareness that this is about their wives and their daughters," said Ron Redmond, executive director of Church Street Marketplace and a member of the Unitarian society. Ron Redmond (no relation to Mark) also manages the White Ribbon Campaign of Vermont, an effort to get men together to talk about ending violence against women.

Michael Wood-Lewis of Burlington is one of the first of about 350 men to join the pledge so far. "As a husband and a son and a father -- as a community member -- it's very important," Wood-Lewis said.

Contact Sara Buscher at 651-4811 or sbuscher@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com

Seven Days Vermont Events
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Seven Days Vermont

music

VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: See October 3, Lebanon Opera House, N.H., 7:30 p.m. $12-22. Info, 603-448-0400.
LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO: The South African a cappella group featured on Paul Simon's Graceland album celebrates 20 years of singing on the world stage. Barre Opera House, 7 p.m. $10-32. Info, 476-8188.
KIRTAN SINGING: Yoga students stretch their vocal cords with call-and-response chants in Sanskrit. Evolution Physical Therapy & Yoga, 20 Kilburn Street, Burlington, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. Info, 658-9404.
FIRST SUNDAY CONCERT: Essex resident and local vocal instructor Evelyn Kwanza sings classical, jazz and gospel music at the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library, Jericho, 2 p.m. Free. Info, 899-4962.
drama

'AMERICAN MACHINE': See October 3, 2 & 6:30 p.m.
'HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES': See October 3, pre-show lecture 3:30 p.m., show 5 p.m. $17-48.
'THE SPITFIRE GRILL': See October 4, 2 p.m.
'HENRY V': See October 4, 2 p.m. $25.
'SWINGTIME CANTEEN': See October 4, 2 p.m.
'FOUND A PEANUT': See October 4, 2 p.m.
PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL: See October 5, 2 p.m. Heidi Lebauer's Crosswords chronicles the adventures of a lonely retired couple who become armchair travelers.
'STILL FRIENDS': See October 6, Maple Corner Community Center.
'OSTENTATIOUS POVERTY' AUDITIONS: Thespians try out for roles in this heady play about bohemians seduced by laissez-faire economists. Room 206, UVM Recital Hall, Burlington, 3-9 p.m. Free. Info, 646-872-7782.

film

'MILAREPA': See October 5.
'TIBETAN SACRED DANCE': See October 5.
'HAIRSPRAY': John Travolta puts on a dress for this film version of the musical about a big girl with even bigger hair, who dreams of desegregating a popular '60s TV dance show. Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., 7 & 9:15 p.m. $7. Info, 603-646-2422.

art

ART EXHIBITION & SALE: See October 3.
STOWE FOLIAGE ART & CRAFT FESTIVAL: See October 5.
'HARVEST OF QUILTS' SHOW: See October 6, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
'ART IN THE PARK': See October 6, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
SUNDAY TEA RECEPTION: Cups and saucers and keyboard music launch public viewing of three separate exhibits. Studio Place Arts, Barre, 2-4 p.m. Free. Info, 479-7069.

words

GRACE PALEY MEMORIAL SERVICE: Vermont poets David Budbill, Jody Gladding and Major Jackson join seven other accomplished versifiers to celebrate the life and work of Vermont's beloved poet, fiction writer and social-justice activist. Vermont College Chapel, Montpelier, 3 p.m. Free. Info, 229-2340.
COOKBOOK SIGNING: Chef Rick Gencarelli and food writer Melissa Pasanen, co-authors of Cooking With Shelburne Farms, serve up taste-test portions of selected recipes. Barnes & Noble, South Burlington, 3 p.m. Free. Info, 864-8001.

talks

'CREATING CONNECTIONS' CONFERENCE: See October 6, 8:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
'OUT OF THE SHADOWS': Historian Elise Guyette unearths town records about an African-American farming community that lived in Hinesburg from 1790 to 1870. Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, 2 p.m. Donations. Info, 877-3406.
'SEX AND VIOLENCE': On the first anniversary of Michelle Gardner-Quinn's abduction and murder, Mark Redmond of Spectrum Youth & Family Services and Reverend Gary Kowalski discuss men's role in making the Burlington community safe for women. Unitarian Church, Burlington, 9 & 11 a.m. Free. Info, 862-5630.

kids

ANIMAL FEEDING: See October 3.

sport

FOLIAGE WALK: See October 3, 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
MOUNTAIN BIKING: See October 6.
MOUNT ZION HIKE: A guide brings Revolutionary War-era history to life on this easy-to-moderate climb up a historic landmark. Meet at the Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site, 2 p.m. $2. Info, 273-2282.
RIPTON RIDGE RUN: Racers run or walk 5 to 10 K on scenic roads, then eat a homemade lunch. Starts at Ripton Elementary School, registration 11:15 a.m., race 12:30 p.m. $20-30 includes T-shirt. Info, 388-2208.
WOODY NIGHT TRAIL RUN: Families pace themselves on a 2- or 5-mile course before bellying up to barbecue. Mansfield Touring Center, Stowe, registration 8:30-10:30 a.m., race 11 a.m. $5-25. Info, www.mmwa.org or 253-7409.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IRON GATE CHALLENGE: Select a 5K fun walk or run, or opt for a 10K challenge to support worldwide advocacy for political prisoners. Meet at the intersection of Upper Pleasant Valley Road and Westman Road, Cambridge, registration 9 a.m., race 10 a.m. $15-20. Info, 849-2364.

etc

CHARITY BINGO: See October 3, 2 & 7 p.m.
THE GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE: See October 3.
CALAIS FALL FOLIAGE FESTIVAL: See October 5, 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY ANTIQUES FESTIVAL: See October 6, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
CHOCOLATE APPLE FEST: See October 6.
LIBRARY BOOK SALE: See October 6, 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
CRAFT FAIR: See October 6.
APPLE FEST: See October 6. Apple pancakes tempt early risers at St. Rose of Lima Church, South Hero, 7-11 a.m. $3-7.
PUMPKIN & APPLE CELEBRATION: See October 6.
OKTOBERFAST: See October 6.
THE CIVIL WAR HOME FRONT: A ranger leads a 2-hour tour of places that reflect Woodstock's role on the Union side of the Civil War. Meet at Billings Farm and Museum Visitor Center, 2:30 p.m. $8. Reservations and info, 457-3368, ext. 22.
CHINESE-ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUP: Ni hao ma? Speakers of Mandarin and English break the ice to swap sentences in both languages. Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, 3 p.m. Free. Info, 865-7211.
HARVEST & COURAGE CELEBRATION: Local food and films enhance African drumming and dancing by Jeh Kulu, and environmental activist Frances Moore Lappé of Diet for a Small Planet fame talks about her new book. Center for Whole Communities, Knoll Farm, Fayston, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free, bring a bowl and a spoon. Info, 496-5690.
APPLE & HARVEST FESTIVAL: Hear about the historical figure who inspired the legend of Johnny Appleseed at a cider-centric tribute to 19th-century orchard activities. Morrill Homestead, Strafford, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. $5. Info, 765-4129.
HARVEST DINNER: Apple sauce, cider and pies accompany pork, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans and rolls in a meal made more pleasant by acoustic folk music. Champlain Orchards, Shoreham, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. $11. Reservations and info, 897-2777.

The week of hope and fear
Published: Sunday, October 7, 2007
By Adam Silverman, Burlington Free Press

The man and woman walking east on Main Street never seemed to glance at the camera.

Minutes earlier, the man lent the woman his cell phone after the batteries failed on hers. She called a friend, then handed back the phone. Now these two strangers were walking together from downtown, apparently chatting amicably, as they strolled through a comfortable October night, past the surveillance camera outside Perrywinkle's Fine Jewelry and into an unseen nightmare for her beyond.

Within two hours the woman, a 21-year-old University of Vermont senior with a broad smile and a passion for the environment, was dead. The man, a 36-year-old construction worker with a history of legal troubles and violent interactions with women, abducted, raped and killed her, then drove to Richmond and heaved her body over the edge of a gorge, police say.

So began one of the most harrowing and ultimately chilling weeks in recent Burlington memory. Michelle Gardner-Quinn's body remained undiscovered for six days, during which the expanding search for the missing daughter, friend and student grew more frantic, more anguished and more grim.

Early hope and unfounded leads faded, eventually giving way to tragedy.

But the man in the video, whom police soon would identify as Brian Rooney of Richmond, almost from the outset left behind what authorities contend are the vital clues that broke the investigation: cell-phone records and images of his face alongside hers on the surveillance tape. Later, during the sexual assault, Rooney left scientifically certain DNA evidence, police say.

He has denied all charges and is jailed pending trial.

That week of searching and investigating, desperate and methodical, started a year ago today.

Saturday morning

Michelle Gardner-Quinn, a native of Arlington, Va., made fast friends during the few weeks shed been in Vermont since transferring to UVM for her senior year. She was among a group who headed out from campus the evening of Oct. 6, 2006, to celebrate a friends 21st birthday.

The university was marking its annual Family Weekend, and Gardner-Quinn's parents were in town. The family ate together that night and planned to meet the next day, Oct. 7, a warm Saturday, to watch the homecoming parade in the afternoon and then have dinner.

Michelle never arrived.

Early Saturday, she left one tavern to find more friends downtown, which college students and other revelers packed as they often do on the dwindling temperate weekend nights of early fall. There was a flurry of cell-phone calls and a missed meeting or two; Gardner-Quinn decided to traipse back to her residence-hall room on campus, about a mile up the steep Main Street hill.

Rooney, a father of three daughters, encountered her between Pine and Church streets, according to court papers. Rooney told police conflicting stories: The college girl approached him near Pine Street and asked to borrow his cell phone; he noticed her having phone problems and sauntered over near Church Street.

However the encounter happened, Gardner-Quinn placed at least one call from Rooney's phone, to friend and fellow student Tommy Lang to tell him she was headed back to campus. Rooney's phone number was stored in the call memory of Lang's phone, police say.

The college student and the construction worker began walking together toward campus, past the busy bars and pizza joints, the service station on South Winooski Avenue, past Perrywinkle's and its surveillance camera at precisely 2:34 a.m.

By 4:30 a.m., according to a timeline police would assemble days later, the young woman would be dead. No one but Rooney, though, according to police, knew that until the following Friday.

Late Saturday-Monday

Friends and family grew more worried throughout Saturday, and when Gardner-Quinn, whose absence was atypical, missed first the parade and then the 6 p.m. dinner with her parents, they reported her disappearance to the police.

"By 6:30," Gardner-Quinn's father, John-Charles Quinn, said in a recent conversation, "we were in full hunt."

Quinn called the mysterious number stored in Lang's cell phone 15 minutes later. A man named Brian answered. The conversation lasted two or three minutes, Quinn recalled, and nothing seemed suspicious in the moment. The man said he had indeed met Gardner-Quinn and let her use his phone that seemed like something Michelle would do, her father said but then they'd parted ways, and the girl hailed a taxi for the trip back to campus.

As Quinn and his wife, Diane Gardner Quinn, reflected on the conversation, though, one detail seemed so uncharacteristic for Gardner-Quinn her parents couldn't believe it.

"The taxi didn't sound right," Diane Quinn said.

"She would have just marched up the hill," John-Charles Quinn said. "And she did walk up the hill. We have a videotape to demonstrate that very clearly."

The law-enforcement effort developed overnight and began in earnest Sunday, Oct. 8. Police publicly called the situation suspicious.

Inside the department, investigators knew something was seriously wrong, said Rich Long, who at the time was chief of detectives for the Burlington Police Department.

"It was clear to me from the beginning that we had a legitimate missing-persons complaint," Long, 42, said last week. "We knew we had somebody who should not be missing."

Long, awakened by an early morning phone call from a lieutenant on duty, summoned three other detectives to headquarters.

They would be the first of some six dozen investigators eventually assembled to work the case.

A university spokesman said events were disconcerting. Gardner-Quinn's friends were scared and anxious.

"She's not the type of person who would just disappear," Lang said that day.

They created missing-person fliers and plastered them throughout downtown, the Hill Section and on campus. There was no word.

Lang called the mysterious number saved in his cell phone and spoke to the man who answered, who reported he and Gardner-Quinn parted company at the intersection of Main and South Union streets. Lang gave the information to police.

Authorities were unusually silent Sunday and offered no public comments beyond a cursory news release until the chief, Thomas Tremblay, held a solemn meeting Monday with the media.

"The more time that goes by," he said, "the more concerned we become."

Detectives were working 24 hours a day, the chief said, and were accepting offers of help from state police and federal agents. Police had spoken to the man who lent the cell phone, but the lead Tremblay highlighted that day was a white Subaru-type hatchback with gold trim and a driver in his 20s who had asked a woman he didn't know to get into his car about a mile north of downtown some 15 minutes after Gardner-Quinn last was seen.

Rooney, though, was a person of interest from the start, Long said. Detectives begin cases such as this by ruling in as many suspects as possible and then investigating to eliminate each one from suspicion.

"He was a person we could never exclude," Long said.

Tuesday-Thursday

The national media picked up the story Tuesday, and teams of reporters, photographers and producers arrived in vans and satellite trucks. The cramped conference room at police headquarters on North Avenue couldn't hold them all, so investigators moved briefings to a South Burlington hotels ballroom.

Tremblay told reporters the case was moving in a specific direction. It was focusing on Rooney, although police would deflect questions related to him for several more days.

A team of law-enforcement agents searched a home on Browns Court in Richmond where, authorities would say later, Rooney's parents lived and he slept in a trailer on the property.

Gardner-Quinn's parents emerged from anonymity to speak publicly and share a challenging mixture of grief and hope. Composed but distraught, John-Charles and Diane Gardner Quinn said they were praying Michelle was alive.

"We remain hopeful that we will find her and that she will be returned to us safe and sound," John-Charles said that day. "We pray that will be today."

By now 70 investigators local officers, state troopers, FBI agents, even at one point a National Guard helicopter and crew had joined the case. The work was exhausting, but no one had time to notice, Long said. They all were focused, locked in to the job, he said.

His schedule was typical: up at 6 a.m., to the office by 7, work until he realized he hadn't eaten, usually mid-afternoon, then plow forward until 2 a.m.

That dedication amazed Gardner-Quinn's parents, and their gratefulness and appreciation remain among their most vivid recollections of the week.

"It made us appreciate why Michelle loved it up there so much," Diane Quinn, 64, said last week.

She called police headquarters at 6:30 each morning to ask whether the overnight shift had news.

"They never did," she said.

Wednesday brought more searches but no answers. Authorities on Thursday released images from Perrywinkle's surveillance camera. Tremblay said the man with the cell phone had become a significant focus but police had no evidence of a crime and were not close to making an arrest.

That would change the next day.

Friday

The morning began with another fruitless search, this time in the back yard of a house on South Union Street. At 1 p.m. Friday, hikers next to Huntington Gorge in Richmond peered over the jagged rocks and noticed, lying in a crevice, something that looked like a body.

State police responded first, and troopers called Tremblay. He summoned Long and lead investigator Detective Ray Nails into his office.

"We believe we found her, the chief said," Long recalled.

He and Nails kept the information quiet, even from others in the department, to ensure nothing slipped out, and the detectives rushed from Burlington to Richmond.

Their car, for the first time since Monday, was not pursued by eager reporters, Long said. At Huntington Gorge, any inclination the officers felt toward grief fell away, replaced by a new focus: Solve the crime. Catch the criminal.

"Were going to find evidence thats going to prove or disprove our theory on who killed her. That was my one thought," Long said.

Later that afternoon, police who had been tailing Rooney since the beginning of the week stopped his car in Hardwick and arrested him. Initially authorities charged him only with unrelated sex crimes dating to the late 1990s and early 2000s in Caledonia County, accusations investigators uncovered through interviews with dozens of people he knew as authorities searched for Gardner-Quinn. Another 12 days would pass before Chittenden County prosecutors leveled a murder charge.

Rooney's relatives had not spoken to the media during the investigation, but now, after his arrest, one came forward in defense.

"My brother would never hurt a woman," said Rikki Rooney, his brothers senior by two years.

"As a father of daughters, Brian Rooney treats women right," the elder brother said.

A review of Rooney's record after his arrest, though, would show he had accumulated restraining orders from his ex-wife and two former girlfriends, who accused him of threatening to hurt or kill them when he became angry.

And the Caledonia County sexual assault charges allege Rooney used chemical agents to incapacitate women before having sex with them; prosecutors in Chittenden County would file similar charges the next week.

In Burlington late Friday afternoon, Tremblay called one final news conference. The chief and his top deputies, lieutenants and others were visibly and uncharacteristically shaken when they entered the room, and several wiped away tears as Tremblay spoke in a low, steady voice.

He announced with a heavy heart and a great sense of sadness that Michelle Gardner-Quinn was dead, the victim of an abduction and murder. Her friends sobbed and clutched each other in a corner.

There was one final task.

Back at police headquarters, John-Charles Quinn asked to speak to investigators. They crowded into a conference room, Long recalled, with no idea what to expect. The silence was penetrating.

"At the beginning of this week," Quinn began, "I asked you all to find my daughter. And you did. I can't thank you enough. Don't look upon this as a defeat but as a glorious triumph, because you have done your best."

Then he walked around the room and shook every hand he could clasp.

The officers were awe-struck at his composure, his profound gratitude for their work, Long said. There was no way he, a veteran cop, could have handled himself so well.

That night, Diane Quinn shared similar feelings. She was relieved her daughter was no longer abandoned, by herself, in the cold. The real nightmare would have been to not find her, Diane Quinn said. That would have been a torment beyond description.

The weeks ahead

In the coming days and weeks, Burlington and its residents, UVM and its students, people across Vermont and beyond struggled to understand what had happened during those fast-moving six days. How, they wondered, could anyone have done this to a person as bright and beautiful as Michelle Gardner-Quinn?

On Oct. 25, prosecutors charged Rooney with aggravated murder, the most serious murder count in Vermont and one the government can bring only if some additional violation, in this case a sexual assault, occurred at the same time as the killing. Police and prosecutors say DNA evidence found in Gardner-Quinn's body matches Rooney's genetic profile with a certainty of 1 in 240 quadrillion.

Rooney pleaded not guilty, and his attorney, David Sleigh, said he would fight the charges with all the vigor we can muster.

Now 37, Rooney is jailed without bail at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans. His trial could begin by the end of the year. The unrelated sexual-assault cases are pending. He faces up to life in prison.

Long, who left Burlington's police force this year to work as security director at Champlain College, said he can't believe how quickly a year has passed since that whirlwind week. He remembered how, after everything was over, his emotions overwhelmed him one night as he sat home with his wife and two daughters.

"I told them, This is really hard, and they were just great," Long recalled, and then his thoughts turned to Michelle Gardner-Quinn and the effect she had continues to have on so many lives.

"She's a really special person. I wish I could have met her."

Contact Adam Silverman at 660-1854 or asilverm@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com

Events in memory of Michelle Gardner-Quinn

One year after the disappearance and death of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, the University of Vermont community is invited to celebrate her life and continue to mourn her loss at the following events organized in her memory:

Thursday: A Night of Reflection and Remembrance of Michelle Gardner-Quinn. 7:30 to 9 p.m. Womens Center. Tea, refreshments and conversation about who Michelle was and what she did. Counselors will be available; donations to her scholarship fund will be accepted.

Friday: Walk up Main Street and Candlelight Community Gathering. 6 p.m. Participants will meet at City Hall Park, rain or shine, and walk up Main Street to the green, where a plaque will be placed at the fountain designating a place of reflection, healing and hope for the UVM community.

Michelle's This I believe essay will be read. At 7 p.m., gathering in John Dewey Lounge, Old Mill, for reflection and the opportunity to share thoughts and feelings.

Saturday: First Michelle Gardner Quinn Memorial Hike. Hikers will meet in the Olin Atrium in the Davis Center at 8:30 a.m. A fund-raiser for the Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies, hikes will take place in and around Mount Mansfield and the Stowe area, visiting the sections of the Long Trail that Michelle's Wilderness TREK group traveled in August 2006.

TREK was a highlight of Michelle's community experience as a transfer student to UVM. Interested teams of students, staff and faculty can register by calling the UVM Outing Club, 656-3439, no later than 4 p.m. Wednesday. Same-day registration will not be available. The fee is $10 per person or $25 for a three-person team.

Ongoing: All week, the Inter Residence Association will be handing out green ribbons and information about Michelle's passion for the environment. Ribbons will be available at residence hall desks, the Davis Center information desk and the Waterman student services counter. Additionally, the LiveEarth video of Michelles essay will be shown on UVMTV. Other Student Government Association clubs and organizations will hold individual fund-raisers all week.

Remembering Michelle Gardner-Quinn: One Year Later
Sunday Marks One Year Since Slaying
POSTED: 9:03 pm EDT October 7, 2007
UPDATED: 9:26 pm EDT October 7, 2007
WPTZ-TV Plattsburgh

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 764 Kb / 1:37)

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- It was one year ago Sunday that University of Vermont student Michelle Gardner-Quinn went missing.

Gardner-Quinn's parents reported her missing when she didn't show up for lunch with them that morning.

It was parents weekend at the University of Vermont and Gardner-Quinn's mother and father were visiting from Arlington, Virginia.

When they couldn't find their daughter and they called the Burlington Police Department.

The Burlington Police Department immediately decided the disappearance was suspicious and asked anyone with information to contact them.

On Monday Burlington Police Chief Thomas Tremblay said, "The fact she has not been in contact with family or friends during this visit by her family is why we've characterized this as highly suspicious."

By Tuesday the national media descended on Burlington.

The police moved their briefings to a hotel ballroom to accommodate the crowds.

That day Gardner-Quinn's parents made their first and only public statement, asking the public to help find their daughter.

On the UVM campus students held vigils at the campus fountain.

Others helped search neighborhoods around the campus for clues.

Many students said they didn't feel safe walking alone at night.

Thursday, Burlington police released the surveillance video of Gardner-Quinn walking by a jewelry store with an unidentified man.

The man was later identified as Brian Rooney.

Police had searched Rooney's parents' home in Richmond the day before.

The search ended Friday the 13th.

Hikers found Gardner-Quinn's body in the Huntington Gorge in Richmond.

Police said she had been raped and murdered.

Police arrested Rooney on an unrelated sexual assault charge that Friday.

Eventually Rooney was charged with the rape and murder of Gardner-Quinn.

Police say DNA evidence links Rooney to the crime.

Rooney claims he is innocent, and is currently is in jail awaiting trial.

This week, UVM will be holding a number of events remembering Gardner-Quinn.

You can find a list of the events at: http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmpr/theview/article.php?id=2472 .

Copyright 2007 by WPTZ.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Remembering Michelle Gardner-Quinn
Burlington, Vermont - October 7, 2007
Jack Thurston - WCAX News

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 1.6 mb / 3:30)

One year ago, UVM student Michelle Gardner Quinn vanished as she walked back to campus from downtown Burlington. Six days later, her body was found hidden near the Huntington Gorge. She had been kidnapped, raped and murdered, investigators say by Brian Rooney of Richmond.

The University of Vermont has a handful of events planned this week to honor Gardner-Quinn, including a candlelight vigil, memorial hike, and scholarship fundraiser. The murder victim is being remembered both on and off-campus.

On a bright and clear Sunday morning, members of Burlington's Unitarian Universalist Society remember a dark day one year ago.

Anti-violence advocate Mark Redmond asks the church-goers rhetorically, "Why are so many men harming women in our city, our state, and our country?"

Rather than focus just on the crimes against Michelle Gardner-Quinn, the Unitarian Universalist community discussed a culture of violence, calling for men to take a stand. Speakers said they should not commit or condone violence against a girl or woman.

More than just a reaction to murders like Gardner-Quinn's and Laura Winterbottom's, such a pledge could reduce the number of women who suffer domestic abuse or fear random attacks.

Reverend Gary Kowalski of the First Unitarian Universalist Society told the congregation, "Women live in a world where violence and the threat of violence assaults them every day. It's something they just live with. Or in the case of the unlucky ones like Laura Winterbottom, something they don't live with."

In the wake of Michelle Gardner-Quinn's death, her friends and family started a foundation to carry on her mission of environmental stewardship. So far, Michelle's Earth Foundation has planted trees and worked to clear invasive plantlife in the victim's homestate of Virginia.

Rachele Huennekens, a childhood friend of Gardner-Quinn, asked Channel 3's viewers to "Remember Michelle and her convictions. She was somebody that believed in things, not one of those people who was apathetic and didn't bother to take action for what they believe."

One of those beliefs, that people should take action to combat global warming, was the subject of a poignant video featuring celebrities holding Michelle's picture, and reading words she wrote for a UVM class. It played at this summer's Live Earth concerts for climate change, and has circulated since on the internet.

In the video, actress Goldie Hawn recites, "I believe in upholding reverence for all life."

Sarah Ferguson, the duchess of York, reads, "I believe that humanity has a responsibility to the earth and to the life that we share our experience with."

Actress Kate Hudson adds, "I believe that my connection to all life forms prevents me from sitting back and watching this catastrophe."

The video continues with actress Emily Proctor reading, "I believe that we should understand our place in our regional ecosystems and communities. And pledge our allegiance to the earth as a whole."

Musician Cheryl Crow recites, "I believe that all creatures whether they're found in my backyard or halfway around the globe should not suffer as a result of human greed."

Tipper Gore, the wife of former Vice President, and ecological activist Al Gore, says, "The reality of climate change is here and now. It is the environmental battle of our generation and generations to come."

Actress Meg Ryan says, "In honor of all life, I am dedicating myself to preventing this worldwide ecological crisis."

Gardner-Quinn's mother Diane concludes the video, saying the only words not written by her daughter Michelle. The grieving mother says, "And I believe that my daughter can still change the world."

To watch that video, or to learn more about Michelle's Earth Foundation, you can log onto the non-profit's website. There is a link at the top of this article.

WCAX News will have much more on the life and death of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, including an update on where the criminal case against Brian Rooney stands, Monday on the Channel 3 News.

UVM Remembers Murdered Student
Sunday Marks Anniversary Of Gardner-Quinn Disappearance
POSTED: 6:17 pm EDT October 6, 2007
UPDATED: 8:44 pm EDT October 6, 2007
WPTZ-TV Plattsburgh

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 854 kb / 1:49)

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Thousands are in town for the University Of Vermont's homecoming and family weekend.

It was this same weekend one year ago that a young UVM student disappeared.

Police say Michelle Gardner-Quinn was kidnapped while walking back to her dorm room.

One week later she was found murdered.

Her parents, who were in town for family weekend, contacted the authorities when she didn't show up to meet them.

Other parents in town this weekend said they clearly remember the disappearance of the young UVM co-ed.

UVM student parent Kevin Saaristo said, "We were going through making choices on college and then to see that in the news as a parent you're heart goes out to the parents, oh my goodness, what an absolute tragedy."

All this week, campus officials have organized memorial events to honor Gardner-Quinn and her memory.

UVM provost John Hughes said, "Everybody that came in contact with her knew that she was one of those special people and it was a tragedy she left our community but we're pleased to celebrate what she had accomplished in her life."

The school is hosting a candle light gathering on the campus green the night of Oct, 12 to remember Gardner-Quinn.

Copyright 2007 by WPTZ.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

UVM planning week of events to remember slain Va. student
By Wilson Ring, Associated Press Writer | October 6, 2007
Boston Globe

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- There's a small, makeshift memorial to Michelle Gardner-Quinn next to the fountain on the University of Vermont green, but few students lounging on a warm fall day paused to notice the images of the Virginia woman who was killed one year ago this weekend.

No one has forgotten Gardner-Quinn, or her violent death at age 21.

The things she held dear are being commemorated with a week of activities and remembrances, there's been a focus on student safety and a number of practical measures have been taken to protect students. But the campus is moving on.

"Burlington is a really safe city," freshman Kaitlin Heffernan, 18, said while sitting on the green with friends. "But you always make sure you go out with a group."

The university is making it possible for people to commemorate the Arlington, Va., women's death in their own way.

"As with anything else, (we're) really taking a true tragedy and such a loss and trying to be reflective and intentional about not only carrying on Michelle's legacy, but also really doing all that we can do to make UVM as safe as possible for our students," said Annie Stevens, UVM assistant vice president for student life.

The first event, a raffle to raise money for a scholarship in Michelle's memory, was held on Friday. Wednesday, there will be a night of remembrance. Friday a candlelight march will be held from downtown Burlington to the campus, the same route Gardner-Quinn was to have taken the night she disappeared.

Saturday there will be what is being called the First Annual Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Hike. It will be also be used as a fundraiser, for the Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies.

On a practical level, Gardner-Quinn's death has prompted a series of changes in the way UVM and local police prepare for and react to possible abductions.

"We are very progressive in terms of our safety. We've had a police department for years, we've had blue lights, we installed camera systems, we're not trailing anyone," said UVM Police Chief Gary Margolis.

"When something as tragic as Michelle happens, you've got to stop and look again and ask yourself, 'what are we not doing that we could be doing?" he said.

Partly as a result of Gardner-Quinn's death and the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech that left 32 people dead, UVM installed a new campus-wide emergency notification system, due to be rolled out later this month, Margolis said.

UVM has made a deal with local taxi companies to allow students to pay for a ride with the campus ID and debit card, Margolis said.

Across campus, students have been looking for unlocked doors or unlighted areas, said Ben Porter, a 20-year-old senior from Burlington and member of the student government.

"I think this has really changed the way people think about safety," Porter said.

Meanwhile, Brian Rooney, the 37-year-old Richmond, Vt., man charged with sexually assaulting and then killing Gardner-Quinn after he loaned her his cell phone on Burlington's Main Street, is awaiting trial, possibly before the end of the year.

Rooney is charged with aggravated murder. He is also is facing unrelated aggravated sexual assault charges that grew out of the search for Gardner-Quinn. If convicted of aggravated murder, Rooney will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Gardner-Quinn, a committed environmentalist, was a senior, but she was in her first year at UVM. She transferred so she could join the environmental studies program.

Gardner-Quinn was reported missing last Oct. 7 after she didn't return to her dorm following a night out with friends in downtown Burlington. A surveillance camera on a downtown jewelry store recorded Gardner-Quinn and Rooney walking together up Main Street toward the UVM campus.

After a high-profile search and police investigation, Gardner-Quinn's body was found Oct. 13 next to the Huntington Gorge in Richmond. Police say she had been sexually assaulted and died of blunt force trauma and strangulation.

Gardner-Quinn's death and her commitment to the environment has reached across the world.

In a YouTube video, singer Sheryl Crow, actress Meg Ryan and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, are pictured holding a portrait Gardner-Quinn and reciting parts of an essay Gardner-Quinn submitted to a class two days before her death.

"And I believe that my daughter can still change the world," Gardner-Quinn's mother, Diane Quinn, said in the video.

Events Planned in Memory of Michelle Gardner-Quinn
Contact: University Communications Staff
Email: newserv@uvm.edu
Phone: (802) 656-2005 FAX: (802) 656-3203
Release Date: 10-05-2007

One year after the tragic disappearance and death of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, the University of Vermont community is invited to celebrate her life and continue to mourn her loss at the following events organized in her memory:

Friday, Oct. 5

Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies Fundraising Raffle. Organized by The Organization of Women Exemplifying Reason and Responsibility to benefit the scholarship fund created in Michelle’s memory. Davis Center. The raffle will also be held in the Davis Center on Oct. 6, 12 and 13.

Wednesday, Oct. 10

A Night of Reflection and Remembrance of Michelle Gardner-Quinn. 7:30 to 9 p.m. Women’s Center. Hosted by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. Tea, refreshments and conversation about who Michelle was and what she did. Counselors will be available, and donations to her scholarship fund will be accepted.

Friday, Oct. 12

Walk up Main Street and Candlelight Community Gathering. 6 p.m. Participants will meet at City Hall Park, rain or shine, and walk up Main Street to the Main Green where a plaque will be placed at the fountain designating a place of reflection, healing, and hope for the UVM community. Michelle's “This I believe” essay will also be read. At 7 p.m., all are welcome to gather in John Dewey Lounge, Old Mill for quiet reflection and the opportunity to share thoughts and feelings.

Saturday, Oct. 13

1st Annual Michelle Gardner Quinn Memorial Hike. Hikers will meet in the Olin Atrium in the Davis Center at 8:30 a.m. A fundraiser for the Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies, hikes will take place in and around Mt. Mansfield and the Stowe Valley, visiting the areas of the Long Trail that Michelle's Wilderness TREK group traveled in August 2006. TREK was a highlight of Michelle's community experience as a transfer student to UVM.

Interested teams of students, staff and faculty can register by calling the UVM Outing Club, 656-3439, no later than Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Day-of registration will not be available. The fee for participating is $10 per person or $25 for a three person team. All proceeds will be donated to the scholarship fund. Bagels, juice and coffee will be provided as will lunch and snacks during the hike. Participants will return to campus by 4 p.m. for a re-entry gathering, light refreshments and a memorial acknowledgment.

All participants should plan on bringing the following items: day size backpack, comfortable synthetic shirt and pants, warm layers for morning and summit travel, windproof/waterproof jacket and shell, hiking boots or low cuts, light hat, gloves and visor/baseball hat, sunglasses (as needed), a 1 quart water bottle and hiking poles (if interested).

All week long, the Inter Residence Association will be handing out green ribbons and information about Michelle’s passion for the environment. Ribbons will be available at residence hall desks, the Davis Center info desk and the Waterman student services counter. Additionally, the Live Earth video of Michelle’s essay will be shown on UVMTV, and $1 from every ticket sale for the SA Concerts Guster show on Saturday, Oct. 6 will be donated to the Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies. Tickets are available online at www.uvmtickets.com or by calling (802) 656-4410. Other Student Government Association clubs and organizations will be holding individual fundraisers in the coming week.

SPECIAL REPORT
A Stranger is Watching, Part 2
Burlington, Vermont - October 4, 2007
Kate Duffy - WCAX News

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 2.3 mb / 4:49)

Signs of security are all over UVM's campus.

Blue lights mark the location of emergency phones. Residence halls are locked 24/7. And many buildings require an ID card to get in.

But students say they, too, feel responsible for their own safety.

"I stopped running really late at night," UVM junior Kaelyn Murray said.

"I don't speak on my cell phone at night because that means I'm not aware of what's going on around me," senior Magdalena Jensen said.

But campus police say that since the assault on Michelle Gardner Quinn, there is a sense that more needed to be done. Protecting yourself is not enough -- people have to protect each other, too.

"We've really moved toward a cultural shift and not simply the police telling our students and our population be safe," UVM Police Chief Gary Margolis said. "It's now the campus community and leadership saying, let's change the culture and make a difference."

The campus created a campaign it calls "Think. Care. Act." Outreach efforts remind students to think about the impact of their words, actions or silence; care about other community members; and act to end incidents of harm or injustice. When the school year started, welcome bags delivered door to door explained security resources and tips for staying safe off campus.

"The whole idea is, how do students in their realm of the evening, from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., keep each other safe?" explained Gail Shampnois, director of the UVM Office of Student and Community Relations. "And how do they have that kind of message in their head about what do I need to do in terms of emergency numbers, walking with someone else, walking in well lighted areas, et cetera."

Campus police say they've seen an increase in people using free shuttle buses to get to and from campus. And off-campus, two local taxi companies now let students use their CatScratch cards to charge cab fares. Benways said it's good for business and a way to get kids home safely, even if they've spent all their money.

"It's growing every day," Benways dispatcher Tracy Robar said. "A lot of students utilize it so they don't have to carry cash."

The effort shows the responsibility toward safety stretches to the community beyond campus. But police say that responsibility needs to stretch beyond women, too.

"Women are taught from an early age to walk in groups and to do things not to make themselves a victim," Margolis said. "But we realize we don't spend hardly any time talking to men about violence against women crimes and that's where the work has to be done. That's who are committing the vast majority of crimes against women."

Margolis pointed to outreach efforts like the White Ribbon Campaign, which teaches men to stand against violence. Male students who talked to WCAX News said they feel a responsibility, knowing that just their presence can deter a potential attacker.

"If a guy sees a girl walking home by herself at 2:00 in the morning, I think he could help her out," UVM senior Blake Seidman said. "I just don't think they should put themselves at the risk of having something bad happen."

"If I see a woman walking down the street, I'm definitely looking out to see if a guy's following her or anything," senior Cameron Towne said.

Statistics show that even as awareness has increased, the problem hasn't gone away. According to the 2006 Vermont Crime Report, 175 forcible rapes were reported statewide. That's an increase of 5.4% -- up from 166 in 2005. Experts say many assaults are not reported. And the vast majority of sexual assaults are by acquaintances, not strangers.

"I'd like to say we've eradicated the crime," Margolis said. "We just know that's not true. It's a societal problem and it's reflected here as it is everywhere."

Dr. Brookes Cowan on grieving with children
Wednesday October 3, 2007
Mitch Wertlieb, Vermont Public Radio

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 3.4 mb / 7:17)

Colchester, VT - The fatal shootings in Essex and the murder of UVM senior Michelle Gardner-Quinn last year were shocking events that for many people still resonate -- and there is no time frame for the grieving process.

That's part of the reason that health experts with the Madison Deane Initiative, through the Vermont Visiting Nurse Association, are sponsoring public and professional grief therapy conferences over the next two days.

The conference includes a presentation by local officials, and by Colin Murray Parkes, an internationally renowned scholar from Great Britain in the field of bereavement.

Dr. Brookes Cowan is a UVM Sociology professor and founding Chair of the Madison Deane Initiative. She visited our VPR studios recently to talk about the need to encourage the grieving process, especially for children.

Vermont Edition (VPR)
12 Noon - 1 pm Weekdays
Wednesday October 3, 2007
Vermont Public Radio

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 3.5 mb / 7:27)

Depression in families

Psychiatric researchers estimate there are 35,000 cases of depression in Vermont right now, and one study has been examining how to prevent the children of depressed parents from suffering depression themselves. We talk with Dr. Gary Keller about why children of depressed of parents are two to three times more likely than other kids to grapple with depression, and how an ongoing study may prevent it.

UVM security one year later

Also in the program, University of Vermont Police Chief Gary Margolis talks with us nearly a year after the abduction and murder of student Michelle Gardner-Quinn. We learn how campus security and student sentiments toward personal safety have changed in the past year.

Audio postcards from Vermont towns

And we continue our series of Audio postcards from Vermont towns. Today, we hear from Rochester, a town that claims to be the geographic center of the state.

Events Planned in Memory of Michelle Gardner-Quinn
By The View Staff
Article published October 3, 2007

One year after the tragic disappearance and death of Michelle Gardner-Quinn, the University of Vermont community is invited to celebrate her life and continue to mourn her loss at the following events organized in her memory:

Friday, Oct. 5

Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies Fundraising Raffle. Organized by The Organization of Women Exemplifying Reason and Responsibility to benefit the scholarship fund created in Michelle’s memory. Davis Center. The raffle will also be held in the Davis Center on Oct. 6, 12 and 13.

Wednesday, Oct. 10

A Night of Reflection and Remembrance of Michelle Gardner-Quinn. 7:30 to 9 p.m. Women’s Center. Hosted by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. Tea, refreshments and conversation about who Michelle was and what she did. Counselors will be available, and donations to her scholarship fund will be accepted.

Friday, Oct. 12

Walk up Main Street and Candlelight Community Gathering. 6 p.m. Participants will meet at City Hall Park, rain or shine, and walk up Main Street to the Main Green where a plaque will be placed at the fountain designating a place of reflection, healing, and hope for the UVM community. Michelle's “This I believe” essay will also be read. At 7 p.m., all are welcome to gather in John Dewey Lounge, Old Mill for quiet reflection and the opportunity to share thoughts and feelings.

Saturday, Oct. 13

1st Annual Michelle Gardner Quinn Memorial Hike. Hikers will meet in the Olin Atrium in the Davis Center at 8:30 a.m. A fundraiser for the Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies, hikes will take place in and around Mt. Mansfield and the Stowe Valley, visiting the areas of the Long Trail that Michelle's Wilderness TREK group traveled in August 2006. TREK was a highlight of Michelle's community experience as a transfer student to UVM.

Interested teams of students, staff and faculty can register by calling the UVM Outing Club, 656-3439, no later than Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. Day-of registration will not be available. The fee for participating is $10 per person or $25 for a three person team. All proceeds will be donated to the scholarship fund. Bagels, juice and coffee will be provided as will lunch and snacks during the hike. Participants will return to campus by 4 p.m. for a re-entry gathering, light refreshments and a memorial acknowledgment.

All participants should plan on bringing the following items: day size backpack, comfortable synthetic shirt and pants, warm layers for morning and summit travel, windproof/waterproof jacket and shell, hiking boots or low cuts, light hat, gloves and visor/baseball hat, sunglasses (as needed), a 1 quart water bottle and hiking poles (if interested).

All week long, the Inter Residence Association will be handing out green ribbons and information about Michelle’s passion for the environment. Ribbons will be available at residence hall desks, the Davis Center info desk and the Waterman student services counter. Additionally, the Live Earth video of Michelle’s essay will be shown on UVMTV, and $1 from every ticket sale for the SA Concerts Guster show on Saturday, Oct. 6 will be donated to the Michelle Gardner-Quinn Memorial Fund for Environmental Studies. Tickets are available online at www.uvmtickets.com or by calling (802) 656-4410. Other Student Government Association clubs and organizations will be holding individual fundraisers in the coming week.

SPECIAL REPORT
A Stranger is Watching, Part 1
Burlington, Vermont - October 3, 2007
Kate Duffy - WCAX News

Listen to the full segment (MP3 / 2.0 mb / 4:15)

One year has passed since the UVM community mourned the loss of one of its own. Senior Michelle Gardner Quinn was kidnapped as she walked back to campus from a downtown bar, raped and murdered. The campus was stunned; its sense of security, shattered.

One year later, has anything changed?

"I think the students are definitely more aware, and that helps with the security on campus," UVM junior Kaelyn Murray said.

"I don't use an iPod when I walk anytime because I like to hear if someone's coming up behind me for whatever reason," senior Magdalena Jensen said. "It's just a weird safety thing, but I think every woman and every person should be aware of it."

"I don't think it's changed so much, other than the fact the people won't let females walk home alone," senior Blake Seidman said.

But late last Friday night, several women could be seen walking toward campus alone.

The sense among students who spoke to WCAX News is that the crimes against Michelle Gardner Quinn were an aberration. And the statistics show they're right. The Women's Rape Crisis Center estimates only 1% of all sexual assaults in Vermont are by strangers. Advice such as walk in groups and stay in well-lit areas fails to keep women safe when the attacker is someone she knows.

"Our focus always wants to go to the person jumping out of the bushes. It never wants to go to the person that we know," UVM Police Chief Gary Margolis said.

Margolis said high-profile cases like Michelle Gardner Quinn and the recent reports of sexual assaults against two women at Castleton State College bring attention to the issue. They lead to candlelight marches and safety seminars and examinations of campus security. But these cases of stranger attacks create a challenge, too.

"Awareness is raised when the Michelle Gardner Quinn tragedy occurs or when the Castleton State College tragedy occurs," he said. "But the double whammy on it is not only did that horrible event happen, but the focus becomes on the stranger sexual assault, which statistically on a college campus and in our general population is not where it's happening. That provides a whole set of challenges to communicate safety issues to our female population."

Police say Brian Rooney, the man charged with attacking Michelle Gardner Quinn, had never met her. And the women assaulted at Castleton State have not identified their attackers. While assaults by strangers are statistically rare, they happen.

"I think on a day-to-day basis, we definitely forget that Burlington is another little city and there are problems in every little city," Jensen said. "And we maybe just need to be a little more aware of what happens around us."

UVM has just reported its 2006 crime statistics, as required by a federal law known as the Clery Act. Last year, 22 sexual assaults were reported to confidential sources like counselors or the Women's Resource Center. Only two sexual assaults were reported to police. In 2005, one rape was reported to police and fourteen sexual assaults were reported to confidential sources. Seven rapes and nineteen sexual assaults were reported in 2004.

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URL: http://www.michellegardnerquinn.com/news_archive_2007_2.htm