BENNINGTON, VT (WGGB/WSHM) – Authorities report that two decades-old cases, one of which has ties to western Massachusetts, have been resolved.

In a joint statement, the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office and the Bennington, VT County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that 65-year-old David Allen Morrison has pleaded guilty to the 1981 kidnapping of Laura Sheridan in New Ashford, MA and the 1986 murder of Sarah Hunter in Pawlet, VT.

Prosecutors said that, on June 23, 1981, Laura Sheridan got off a bus at the Lanesborough post office, which was reportedly the last stop closest to her house in New Ashford.  Sheridan, who was 15-year-old at the time, then reportedly hitchhiked the final part of the journey and was offered a ride by a man, later identified as Morrison.  She told investigators that she did not originally feel unsafe when she entered Morrison’s car and he stopped at open point to get a paper bag from the trunk, which was then placed between them in the car.  When they got to Sheridan’s house, Morrison reportedly slowed down, but then accelerated past it.

Knowing that she was now in danger, Sheridan reportedly asked Morrison to not kidnap her as he pulled out a small gun out from the bag and tried to load it with ammunition.  There was a struggle for the gun and, at one point, she was able to get the gun from Morrison, but he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her head towards his lap.  As the struggle continued, he pulled over at a rest area on Route 7 in New Ashford and, as Morrison was trying to get control over Sheridan, she was able to unlock the door and get out the car.  Despite Morrison grabbing her by a sweater that was tied around her neck, Sheridan was able to get free and run into the middle of Route 7 where a passerby stopped to help.

Authorities said that a driver, who saw Sheridan run from the car, also saw Morrison try to flee the area.  That driver tried to follow Morrison’s car as it headed toward Vermont and he was able to get a license plate number, which was reported to Williamstown Police.

Then, in mid-September 1986, 32-year-old Sarah Hunter was reported missing by a coworker at the Manchester Country Club in Manchester, VT after she did not report to work.  Investigators said that Hunter went into a gas station, at which Morrison worked, to purchase cigarettes when he then took her by force, tied her up with rope, and detained her at the gas station.  Once he was done with his shift, Morrison reportedly put Hunter, who was bound and gagged, in the trunk of his car.   He then drove to Danby, VT where Hunter was stabbed in the head and died.  Her body was found in a wooded area on November 27, 1986.

WCAX-TV reports that Morrison had been a suspect in Hunter’s murder and was charged with her death at one point.  However, a mishandling of evidence by Vermont State Police led to the case being dismissed in 2015.

In May 2024, Morrison was indicted by a Berkshire County grand jury on one count of kidnapping in connection with Sheridan’s kidnapping.  He was then extradited on a governor’s warrant on November 19, 2025 to Massachusetts from California, where he was serving a life sentence, with a chance for parole after 25 years, on charges of kidnapping with a firearm, rape, and robbery.  Prior to the extradition, investigators from Vermont and Massachusetts went to California to interview Morrison and, according to prosecutors, it was during those meetings that he confessed to Sheridan’s kidnapping and Hunters’ murder.

Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said in a statement Wednesday:

“This unprecedented collaboration demonstrates the immense potential for success in solving cases when we work together. The Berkshires is in a unique geographic location, sharing borders with Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. The Defendant in this case lived in Vermont and drove through the county on his way to work in Connecticut. Thanks to our collaboration between agencies, we were able to solve not one but two unresolved cases.”

“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. While I am certain yesterday’s [December 9th] plea hearings were difficult, I also hope this long overdue day of justice brings some closure to the horrific experiences they faced.”

Morrison was arraigned two days later, on November 21, in Berkshire County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping charge.  He then changed his plea to guilty Tuesday and was extradited that afternoon from Massachusetts to Vermont on a governor’s warrant.  He then appeared in Bennington Criminal Division Court in Vermont on one count of murder and pleaded guilty.  Morrison was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and waived his right to appeal the life sentence in connection with the Vermont case.  For the Massachusetts case, he was sentenced to no less than two years and no more than four years in state prison, to run concurrent with the California sentence and the Vermont sentence.

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