BRIDPORT, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont police are probing a second suspicious death this week, this time in Bridport. While there are no charges yet in the case, police did cite a state official during the investigation.
“He kept of himself and he was a good tenant,” said a woman who would not provide her name, but who owns the property at 748 Swinton Road in Bridport where Vermont state police say Stephen Nuciolo Sr., 44, lived.
He was found dead in the home Wednesday morning.
“I was shocked,” his landlord said. “There were police cars in the yard, and I walked over there to find out what was happening and they told me.”
Police say they received a report on Wednesday that Nuciolo died in the home overnight.
It wasn’t until his body was brought in for autopsy that the medical examiner determined the death appeared suspicious.
“Kind of kept to themselves. I didn’t see them much here, they hadn’t joined any town functions, so it’s kind of a mystery to everybody here in town,” said Adam Broughton, who owns the Big Country Store, one of a few hubs in the small Addison County community. “Living here in Vermont we’re not immune and we’re not protected from all these things… It’s a nice area to live in, but these things happen.”
State police say they spoke with Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos, who said she would respond to the scene. When she did, troopers noticed signs of impairment and Vekos was arrested for DUI.
Vekos, who was elected as the county prosecutor in 2022, refused to take field sobriety tests and had slurred speech, according to police. They say at the barracks, Vekos also refused to cooperate with being fingerprinted and photographed.
We reached out to Vekos for comment but did not hear back before this story was published. She’s expected to appear before a judge in February.
There have been no charges filed in the death investigation.
The Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs says Vekos remains in office, but they’re working to get her DUI case transferred to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. The department’s executive director, John Campbell, says the work of the Addison County state’s attorney will continue.
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