Vermont man pleads guilty to 1982 strangulation of teen as part of deal with prosecutors

Vermont man pleads guilty to 1982 killing

BARRE, Vt. — A Vermont man has admitted to killing an 18-year-old girl in 1982 in a plea deal with prosecutors.

Forty-seven-year-old Theodore Caron of Barre was arrested in February in the strangulation death of Pamela Brown. A DNA sampled linked Caron to the slaying.

Caron initially pleaded innocent to first-degree murder. On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. That’s punishable by a 15-to-35-year sentence, but Caron’s attorney said he is likely to become eligible for release in less than seven years, based on 1982 sentencing rules.

The state Parole Board would determine whether to release Caron once he become eligible.

Brown was found behind a school the day after people crowded downtown to attend a festival. She had been strangled with a cord from her blouse.