Murder trial set for spring 2027 in Rutland police chase death
Tate Rheaume, 23, faces aggravated murder charges over a 2023 pursuit that killed trainee officer Jessica Ebbighausen. Trial is expected in late April or early May 2027.
Spring 2027 trial date sought for Rutland man charged with officer's murder
A man accused of killing a Rutland City police trainee during a vehicle pursuit more than three years ago is expected to stand trial in late April or early May 2027, vtdigger.org reports. The case will be heard in Rutland County Superior Criminal Court.
Tate Rheaume, 23, of Salisbury, has pleaded not guilty to several charges, including aggravated murder, stemming from a July 7, 2023 pursuit that ended on Woodstock Avenue. Police say Rheaume, fleeing an officer in his pickup truck, crashed nearly head-on into a cruiser driven by 19-year-old Jessica Ebbighausen, a police trainee who died as a result.
His defence attorney, David Sleigh, told Judge Susan McManus at a hearing Monday that he was withdrawing an earlier motion to move the trial out of Rutland County. Sleigh had previously argued that extensive media coverage of the case would make it difficult to seat a fair and impartial jury locally. The prosecution had opposed the change of venue.
Instead, both Sleigh and Rutland County State's Attorney Ian Sullivan told the court they are working on a written questionnaire to screen potential jurors.
"I think it's an efficient way to address the enormous amount of publicity this case has generated, and the strong feelings that appear to exist in a large number of people in Rutland County," Sleigh told the judge at a hearing last month.
Sullivan told McManus that the trial is expected to run approximately two weeks. "It looks like we would be asking the court to look for two weeks for trial, late April or early May of 2027," he said. Sleigh confirmed the timeline.
McManus said she anticipated an "expanded jury pool" given the expected duration of the trial, and indicated she would schedule another hearing in roughly four weeks to set firm dates. "At least we'll have time to solidify what that juror questionnaire will look like," she said. "I don't want to delay this any further."
Rheaume was not present at Monday's hearing and remains held without bail at the Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)