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Man pleads guilty to Mass. kidnapping, Vermont murder from the 1980s
David Morrison, 65, of Vacaville, California, is currently serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years in California for other charges.
A California man pleaded guilty to a 1981 Massachusetts kidnapping and a a 1986 Vermont murder on Tuesday.
David Morrison, 65, of Vacaville, California, is currently serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years in California for charges including kidnapping with a firearm, rape, and robbery, according to the Bennington County State’s Attorney Office and the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
On June 23, 1981, Laura Sheridan, 15, was hitchhiking in New Ashford, Massachusetts when she was picked up by a man later identified as Morrison. When the car approached Sheridan’s house, Morrison slowed down before accelerating past it, officials say.
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When Sheridan begged Morrison not to kidnap her, he pulled a small gun from a paper bag and attempted to load it. During a struggle, Sheridan was able to take the gun from Morrison, but he grabbed her by the hair and pulled the car over at a rest area on Route 7. Sheridan was then able to unlock the door and escape the vehicle, prompting another vehicle to follow Morrison’s car and report the license plate number to Williamstown police, officials say.
In May 2024, Morrison was indicted on one charge of kidnapping for the 1981 abduction of Laura Sheridan. On Nov. 19, 2025, he was extradited from California to Massachusetts, officials say.
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Morrison initially pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, but on Tuesday changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to no less than two years and no more than four years in state prison, according to officials.
Around Sept. 18, 1986, meanwhile, Sarah Hunter entered a gas station where Morrison was working in Manchester, Vermont, when he took her by force and tied her up. At then end of his shift, he placed Hunter, who was bound and gagged, into the trunk of his car, officials say.
Morrison drove to Danby, Vermont where he stabbed Hunter in the ear with a pair of scissors, piercing her brain and killing her, officials say. Hunter was found on Nov. 27, 1986, in a wooded area in Danby.
To commemorate Hunter and her work as a golf pro, a golf tournament is held annually in her honor, officials say.
Officials credited the result to cross-state collaboration among prosecutors’ offices and Vermont’s and Massachusetts’ state police investigators. Retired Investigator Tom Truex came out of retirement to interview Morrison again with his son, Detetective Sergeant Samuel Truex, officials say.
State’s Attorney Erica Marthage added, “I would like to give special recognition to Investigator Tom Truex, the original case officer and retired Vermont State Police Detective who investigated Sarah’s unresolved case for almost 40 years.”
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Also Tuesday, Morrison was extradited to Vermont where he pleaded guilty to murder, officials say. He was sentenced to life for a presumptive minimum term of 35 years or life without the possibility of parole, according to charging documents.
“While I am thrilled with this outcome, I cannot imagine what Laura, Laura’s family, and Sarah’s family must be feeling. They have waited almost 40 years to find answers to the violent acts committed against them and their loved ones,” Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy Shugrue wrote in a statement. “While I am certain [the Dec. 9] plea hearings were difficult, I also hope this long overdue day of justice brings some closure to the horrific experiences they faced.”
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