Vermont State Police have taken over from the Northfield Police Department the investigation into the death of a 68-year-old man, later ruled a suicide, that the man’s daughter believes was suspicious.
For the past several months, Alexandria Stanley has been pushing for a law enforcement agency outside of Northfield police to conduct an independent investigation into the death of her father, Pedro “Pete” Baez.
She has disputed the findings by the police and the Vermont’s Chief Medical Examiner’s Office that her father died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in November 2024 at his home in Northfield.
Stanley said Monday that she was heartened by the news that state police would be taking over the investigation.
“I’m hugely thankful that this will be looked at anew,” Stanley said. “I’ve been asking for an unbiased, independent investigation into my father’s suspicious death since November.”
A detective from the state police major crime unit has been assigned to conduct an external review of the Pedro Baez death investigation carried out by the Northfield Police Department, according to an email that State Police Detective Lt. Tyson Kinney wrote to attorney Christina Nolan, who represents Stanley, on Friday
On Monday afternoon, state police announced they had “assumed the lead role in investigating” Baez’s death.
Detectives from the state police major crime unit will work with the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Northfield Police Department, “which initially was the primary investigative agency” on the case, according to a statement from state police.
“Members of the state police will interview witnesses, gather facts and review evidence before presenting a complete investigative file to the state’s attorney for review,” the statement added. “The State’s Attorney’s Office will make a final determination on whether to file charges.”
State police did not respond to a question from VTDigger about what prompted its action. State police had previously declined attempts by Stanley seeking to have them take a lead role in the investigation.
“VSP is unable to comment further on this investigation while it is open and active,” the statement Monday from state police read.
Northfield Police Chief Pierre Gomez could not be reached Monday for comment.
Michelle Donnelly, Washington County’s state’s attorney, said Monday that she would work with the state police as the investigation progresses.
The move by state police comes days after Peter Baez, 41, of Northfield, who is Stanley’s brother and Pedro Baez’s son, was arraigned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Burlington on federal charges of possessing and stealing guns from his late father’s estate about a month after his father’s death.
Peter Baez pleaded not guilty to the two criminal charges and was released on conditions.
At that hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra said that shortly before his death, Baez had removed his son from the will and made Stanley the beneficiary.
Attorney William A. Vasiliou II, representing Baez, said after the hearing that his client “had nothing to do with the death of his father.”
Vasiliou could not be reached for further comment Monday afternoon.
Nolan, Vermont’s former U.S. attorney who represents Stanley, had written an email in April to law enforcement officials, as well as state and local leaders, seeking further investigation into Pedro Baez’s death. Nolan cited several problems she saw in the probe that led to the suicide, including that no autopsy took place and that Northfield police relied heavily on information by Peter Baez, who was living with his father at that time.
Berlin police later conducted a review of Northfield Police Department’s death investigation. In a report in April obtained by VTDigger, the investigator from Berlin police stated there were issues that warranted further investigation.
The report found that there were “inadequate” photographs taken at the residence, particularly of the father’s deceased body. The recommendations for further investigation listed in the report included obtaining financial records from Pedro and Peter Baez, medical records for Pedro Baez, as well as contacting service providers to preserve any internet, social media and cellphone records of the parties.
The report also recommended that an interview be conducted with Pedro Baez’s neighbor about his mental state at the time leading up to his death.
Stanley said Monday that she looked forward to finding out what the state police probe reveals.
“My father lived the last 40 years of his life in the town of Northfield,” she said. “He deserves the dignity of a competent police investigation.”
