Brian Rooney

Active: 2006–2006
Region: Burlington, Vermont, USA
State: VT
Kind: Single
Status: Convicted
Victims: 1

Michelle Gardner-Quinn, 21, a University of Vermont senior, was walking back to campus in downtown Burlington early on October 7, 2006, when she borrowed a cell phone from a stranger, construction worker Brian Rooney; a security camera recorded them walking together. Hikers found her body near Huntington Gorge in Richmond six days later. DNA evidence linked Rooney to the killing, and in May 2008 a Rutland jury convicted him of aggravated murder. He was sentenced to life without parole, and the Vermont Supreme Court upheld the conviction in 2011.

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Victims

We remember the people whose lives were taken.

Michelle Gardner-Quinn, 21 · October 7, 2006
A senior from Arlington, Virginia, who had just transferred to UVM; her essay "A Reverence for All Life" was later featured on NPR, and a foundation in her name supports young environmentalists.

Timeline of locations

October 7, 2006
Downtown Burlington (Abduction, approximate area)
After a night out during homecoming weekend, Michelle borrowed a phone from Rooney. A jewelry store camera recorded them walking east together at about 2:34 a.m. It was the last time she was seen.
October 13, 2006
Near Huntington Gorge, Richmond (Recovery site, approximate area)
Hikers found her body near Huntington Gorge six days after she disappeared. A roadside plaque now marks the area.
May 22, 2008
Superior Court, Rutland (Court / trial, approximate area)
The trial was moved about 70 miles from Burlington to Rutland because of publicity. The jury convicted Rooney of aggravated murder, and Judge Michael Kupersmith sentenced him to life without parole.
2023
Southern State Correctional Facility, Springfield (Prison)
Rooney was held at Southern State Correctional Facility as of November 2023.

Sources

Each location also lists its own sources in the data file.