MONTPELIER — The Vermont Supreme Court confirmed the sentence imposed on Randall Swartz, 65, of Irasburg after he pled guilty in February 2023 to the May 2018, shooting of his wife, Thea Swartz. Mr. Swartz was originally charged with first-degree murder, but pled guilty to second-degree murder and two charges of violating conditions of release in exchange for the state reducing the charges against him.
The agreement included a provision allowing Mr. Swartz to contest the 50-year-to-life sentence suggested by the state. In November 2023, there was a two-day hearing during which the couple’s daughters testified against their father, and experts disagreed about whether Mr. Swartz’s level of intoxication made him less culpable.
Orleans County State’s Attorney Farzana Leyva argued that Mr. Swartz was fully responsible for his actions and should be given a 50-year prison term. Mr. Swartz’s lawyer, Robert Sussman, differed …
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