In a chilling turn of events, a grandmother has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of her five-year-old grandson, Dennis ‘Boo’ Vaughan Jr., who was found dead on Christmas Eve, five years ago.
Discovery and initial investigation
On December 24, 2019, young Dennis was discovered with blunt force trauma to the head and neck inside a two-story townhouse in Laconia, New Hampshire. His death, which occurred at his grandmother’s house, was ruled a homicide by authorities. Despite thorough investigations, no arrests were made at the time.
However, on Friday, state and city police announced the arrest of 61-year-old Sherry Connor. Connor has been charged “in connection with the death of a juvenile” on the aforementioned date. The charges against her are extensive, including manslaughter for recklessly causing the death of the juvenile, negligent homicide, assault, and witness tampering.
“A Belknap County grand jury returned indictments charging Connor with manslaughter for recklessly causing the death of the juvenile,” read an official statement. “Further, the grand jury returned indictments on charges of negligent homicide, six counts of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and four counts of witness tampering.”
Connor is set to appear in Belknap County Superior Court at a later date to face these charges.
The tragic incident
Dennis was found injured at an apartment located at 103 Blueberry Lane, Unit 67, in Laconia, surrounded by several family members. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. Dennis and his three siblings had been placed in Connor’s custody by state officials two years prior to his death.
According to a Justice for Dennis ‘Boo’ Vaughan Jr. Facebook group, if still alive, Dennis would have turned 10 on June 11. The group has been vocal about the lack of progress in the case, questioning, “Why is there NO JUSTICE? Why does no one say his name? Why has there been nothing in his case in almost five years?”
Legal actions and allegations
In December 2022, Dennis’ mother and Connor’s daughter, Danielle Vaughan, filed a lawsuit against the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth, and Families. The suit alleged that there were 25 reports from teachers, social workers, neighbors, and others, documenting physical abuse and neglect while Dennis was in Connor’s care.
Connor has consistently maintained that Dennis died of natural causes, dismissing the medical examiner’s ruling of homicide as “bulls**t,” even after being shown the boy’s birth certificate. “Do you honestly believe if he was hurt like that, they wouldn’t have arrested me?” she told the New Hampshire Bulletin.
As the case moves forward, all eyes will be on the upcoming court proceedings, hoping that justice will finally be served for young Dennis ‘Boo’ Vaughan Jr.
