STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

 

Vermont State Police locates body, arrests husband in disappearance of Emily Ferlazzo

 

ST. ALBANS, Vermont (Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021) — The Vermont State Police has located human remains believed to be those of Emily Ferlazzo and arrested her husband, Joseph, on suspicion of murder.

 

After agreeing to speak to investigators Tuesday afternoon, Joseph Ferlazzo told detectives that he had killed his wife early Saturday morning inside their vehicle in Bolton. The vehicle, a small bus, had been converted into a living and traveling space that Emily and Joseph Ferlazzo shared and had used to travel to Bolton late last week. The state police located and seized the bus early Tuesday morning in St. Albans.

 

A subsequent court-ordered search of the bus at the VSP St. Albans barracks uncovered human remains and other evidence that corroborated Joseph Ferlazzo’s account of the killing.

 

The victim’s body will be brought to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington for an autopsy Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, to determine the cause and manner of death and to confirm identity.

 

VSP’s investigation into the death is active and will continue through the night. The state police is working with the Chittenden County and Franklin County state’s attorneys’ offices. Joseph Ferlazzo is expected to be charged with first-degree murder and remain in custody pending arraignment Wednesday in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Burlington.

 

No further details are available. The affidavit of probable cause will be filed with the court and made public following the arraignment. Members of the media should call the Court Clerk’s Office on Wednesday morning to confirm details of the hearing.

 

 

***Update No. 3, 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021***

The Vermont State Police will hold a media availability Tuesday night to discuss developments in the investigation into the disappearance of Emily Ferlazzo.

 

The news conference is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. at the St. Albans Barracks, 140 Fisher Pond Rd. VSP will also livestream the media availability on its Facebook page.

 

 

***Update No. 2, 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021***

Tuesday afternoon, the Vermont State Police located Joseph Ferlazzo at a convenience store in St. Albans, and he agreed to accompany troopers to the barracks.

 

Remington the dog also was located unharmed at the home of a friend of Mr. Ferlazzo.

 

Emily Ferlazzo remains missing, and the police effort to locate her is active and ongoing.

 

The media availability scheduled for 2:30 p.m. is delayed and will occur as soon as practical at the VSP barracks in St. Albans. No additional information is available until the media availability.

 

 

***Update No. 1, 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021***

The Vermont State Police is continuing its investigation into a missing-persons case involving 22-year-old New Hampshire resident Emily Ferlazzo, who was reported to have last been seen in Bolton, Vermont, on Saturday, Oct. 16.

 

The disappearance is considered suspicious, and there are concerns for Mrs. Ferlazzo’s welfare.

 

Emily’s husband, Joseph Ferlazzo, told her family in New Hampshire that the couple had been staying at a vacation rental in Bolton. He advised they were in an argument while in their camper van traveling on the Bolton Valley Access Road at about 1 p.m. Saturday. He further stated that she had left the vehicle and began walking along U.S. Route 2. Mr. Ferlazzo told the family that he proceeded to a convenience store in Bolton, and when he returned to the area where he had last seen Mrs. Ferlazzo, she was gone.

 

Mrs. Ferlazzo’s family reported her disappearance to the Vermont State Police at about 7:15 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, as soon as they were made aware that she was missing. The Vermont State Police immediately began an investigation that has expanded from the Bolton area to include locations in Enosburg and St. Albans.

 

Members of the state police would like to speak to Mr. Ferlazzo, as he may have information that could be helpful to the investigation, but have been unable to locate him. He was reported to have last been seen by a friend Monday night in St. Albans, near the location where the camper van was found on a property belonging to another friend of Mr. Ferlazzo’s. State police also are working to determine when Mrs. Ferlazzo was last seen by someone other than her husband.

 

Mr. Ferlazzo is described as 6 feet tall, weighing 200 pounds with brown eyes, brown hair, a nose piercing, and multiple tattoos. He was last seen wearing a dark gray three-quarter-zip sweater.

 

The couple’s dog, a medium-sized mix breed named Remington, also is missing.

 

The Vermont State Police investigation is in its early stages and includes members of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Major Crime Unit, Crime Scene Search Team, Victim Services Unit, and uniformed troopers from the Field Force Division. In addition, VSP is coordinating with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, Franklin County State’s Attorney’s Office, and police in New Hampshire.

 

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Emily or Joseph Ferlazzo or that may in any way be relevant to this investigation is asked to contact the Vermont State Police in St. Albans at 802-524-5993. Tips also may be submitted online anonymously at http://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

 

The Vermont State Police will hold a media availability to discuss the case with members of the media at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the VSP barracks in St. Albans, 140 Fisher Pond Rd.

 

 

***Initial news release, 2:35 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021***

On 10/18/2021 at approximately 7:15 PM, Troopers from the Williston State Police Barracks received a phone call about a missing 22-year-old female.  Concerned family members called to report, Emily Ferlazzo, missing.  Emily had been staying at an Airbnb in Bolton, Vermont with her husband, Joseph Ferlazzo age 41.  It was reported on Saturday 10/16/21 around 1 PM Emily got out of the vehicle she was riding in and began walking on Rt. 2 near the Bolton Valley Resort Access Road.  Joseph Ferlazzo told family members he went to a nearby store and when he returned to pick Emily up a short time later, he could not find her. 

 

Uniform troopers as well as state police detectives began trying to locate Emily shortly after receiving the report.  Emily is a white female, 5 feet tall, and weighing 125 lbs.  Emily has blue eyes and blonde hair.  Emily was last seen wearing white sneakers, ripped blue jeans, and a long-sleeve black shirt.

 

Anyone with information is asked to call Vermont State Police Detectives at the Williston or St. Albans Barracks.

 

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