Vigil held for slain Gardner woman; husband suspected of killing her still not found 4 months later

A vigil was held Wednesday for a Gardner mother of four who authorities believe was shot and killed by her husband four months ago. 

The Gardner Domestic Violence Task Force invited the community to City Hall to honor the memory of Breanne Pennington, 30, and to raise awareness for other victims of domestic violence.

“Domestic violence is lethal, ” Brenda Hull, Breanne’s aunt, told WBZ at the Wednesday vigil. “I don’t want anyone to ever go through this again, ever, and if we can provide awareness and it saves a life, it’s one less family going through this.”

Breanne’s husband, Aaron Pennington, is suspected of killing her on Oct. 22 and has yet to be located after extensive searching by authorities. 

The investigation into Breanne’s murder began after her four children went to a neighbor’s home, and the neighbor called 911. According to court documents and based on interviews, police said the Penningtons had “marital issues” and that Breanne had planned on leaving Aaron. 

They also learned that Aaron, a 33-year-old Air Force veteran, had been dealing with mental health issues. Initially Aaron faced a charge of carrying a firearm without a license, but after police found a suspicious note on his phone days later, he was then charged with his wife’s murder. 

Police found Aaron’s car parked at Camp Collier, a Boy Scout camp in Garder, a day after the fatal shooting. Massachusetts State Police used Air Wings and K-9 units to search for him around the wooded area where the car was found, but ultimately came up empty.

Authorities said at the time that Aaron was believed to be armed and dangerous. They also described him as having blond hair and blue eyes and said he is approximately 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds.

Anyone with information about Aaron’s whereabouts or his wife’s death is asked to contact state police at 508-832-9124.

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.

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