NEWTON—Official confirmation has been given on the identity of the gunshot victim yesterday afternoon (01.12.13) in Newton, and the circumstances surrounding it.
The victim has been identified as Lori Vernier, 55, wife of former doctor Reginald Vernier, 56, of Newton.
The shooting was believed to have been self-inflicted.
Our reports indicate that Mr. Vernier was the one who was taken by a Newton police officer, Adam Deckard, up to the sheriff’s department, this occurring reportedly after Vernier pulled into the driveway of the home at Maple and Washington streets and discovering his wife on the ground with a handgun lying across a collarbone. He was NOT charged, as far as we can ascertain and as we earlier reported, but only removed from the scene and taken to a secure location (the sheriff’s department). He was later released.
Mrs. Vernier was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dr. Vernier, our regular readers will recall, lost his license and spent a couple of years in federal prison beginning in 2010 after a 2009 incident involving writing excessive prescriptions of Hydrocodone and providing Methadone to people in the area got him charged with counts of Illegal Dispensation of Schedule II and Schedule III Controlled Substance on the federal level.
We have much more on the incident in the print version, which we’re trying to wrap up right now. It should be on stands beginning Tuesday of this week and continuing into Wednesday; as well, the e-Edition will be available beginning Tuesday morning for those who subscribe electronically…be watching.