BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A Burlington jury Friday took less than three hours to convict Joseph Ferlazzo of the first-degree murder of his wife.
Authorities say Ferlazzo shot his wife, Emily, during their one-year anniversary camping trip to Vermont in 2021 and then dismembered her body.
During the five-day trial, prosecutors called the killing intentional and highlighted Ferlazzo’s actions to cover up the crime four days after it happened. They also played a confession video Ferlazzo made to police shortly after the crime.
Ferlazzo originally told Emily’s parents that the two got into an argument in Bolton and she walked away from the van. But according to court documents, he confessed to police that he actually suggested the two lay down after the argument. That’s when he grabbed a Glock from the cabinet, got on top of Emily, and shot her twice. Ferlazzo told police he dismembered her body, leaving her in the bathroom of the camper. He then left the camper outside a friend’s house in St Albans.
Ferlazzo was the only witness to testify in his defense on Wednesday, telling the jury that Emily was the aggressor and that he acted in self-defense.
At sentencing, Ferlazzo faces a minimum of 35 years in prison.
Reporter Cam Smith will have the latest on the Channel 3 News at Noon.