Husband Arraigned for Murder
by Ben Hogwood


HYDE PARK - Charged with the first degree murder of his wife Jodie
Whitney, Edgar Whitney, 33, pled not guilty at his arraignment on
Monday, June 7, in Lamoille County District Court in Hyde Park.
Lamoille County Sheriff's Department deputies and Vermont State Police
escorted Whitney, of Johnson, perspiring and looking disheveled, into
the Lamoille County Courthouse. Inside, Edgar's defense attorney Marc
Eagle raised issue with Whitney's health. "I'm concerned that he's
suicidal," Eagle told Judge Edward Cashman.
Edgar reported Jodie missing on Thursday, May 27, at approximately 10
p.m. He told police he had not seen her since 6 a.m. that morning. Jodie
had not shown up for work at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa and,
knowing this was unlike her, the resort left several messages on the
Whitneys' answering machine. Six days later, Edgar confessed, first to
his brother and then to police, that he had strangled his wife after she
threatened to leave him.
While State's Attorney Joel Page was unavailable for comment, the
affidavit suggests that Edgar was a possible suspect early in the
investigation. Sheriff Roger Marcoux, Jr., said that when conducting a
homicide investigation, police first rule out the people closest to the
victim.
On the morning of Thursday, May 27, Edgar dropped their three year old
daughter, Monica, off at daycare, a disruption of routine according to
Jodie's coworkers and friends who told police Jodie would always take
Monica to daycare and that Edgar would pick her up every evening.
Police found Jodie's car, a white Jeep Cherokee, three-tenths of a mile
away from the Whitneys' residence, in Johnson on Friday, May 28. When
police searched the car, they discovered strands of hair in the trunk.
Police also interviewed employees of Sam's Charlmont Restaurant in
Morrisville, where Edgar and Jodie dined on Wednesday, May 26. The
Whitneys' waitress said the two were "not talkative, may have been
fighting and were not enjoying their food," states the affidavit.
Sheriff Roger Marcoux Jr., along with Lt. Lionel Bachund of the VSP,
interviewed Edgar's brother, Ernest Whitney, on Saturday, May 29. Ernest
said Edgar had taken two dogs, his mother's and his own, to the sand pit
area in Johnson to shoot them. Ernest was surprised Edgar showed no
emotion while doing this. "This information caused investigators to
search the area of the sand pit for Jodie Whitney during the
investigation," stated the affidavit. "Nothing was located in the sand pit."
When Sergeant Edward Stewart of the Stowe Police Department, Chief
Deputy Eben Merrill of LCSD and Detective Sergeant Brian Miller were
given permission from Edgar to look through Jodie's clothing closet,
they discovered her work uniform. Fellow Stoweflake employees had told
police that Jodie's work clothing was limited and that she wore
virtually the same outfit regularly.
On Tuesday, June 1, Edgar dropped off his daughter to Ernest and said he
would be back later that evening to pick her up, state court papers.
Ernest didn't hear from his brother until the next morning, at 6:30
a.m., when Edgar called and apologized. Ernest then went to Edgar's
residence, on Windy Hill Road in Johnson, on the border of North Hyde
Park, arriving at approximately 6:40 a.m. Ernest asked why Edgar did not
pick up his daughter, at which point Edgar told him he took 150 Tylenol
PM pills. He then said, "I did it, I killed her," states the affidavit.
Edgar allegedly told his brother where the body was located.
Edgar was transported to Copley Hospital, where he was stabilized before
being transported to Fletcher Allen Health Care. At 2:03 p.m., two VSP
search team members discovered the body of a female victim, in a swampy
area off Mines Road in Johnson. The body was later identified by the
state Medical Examiner's office as Jodie.
At 3 p.m., Chief Deputy Merrill and Sergeant Miller interviewed Whitney
at the hospital. During a two hour interview, Whitney confessed to the
murder. He said Jodie had threatened to kick Edgar out of the house
again. Whitney and her 15 year old daughter, Rebecca, had a restraining
order against Edgar in the summer of 2003. "...Something just clicked in
my head that night," he told police. He said that he hit Jodie, then
strangled her with his hands. After covering her in a sheet, he put the
body in the back of the Jeep, drove to a marsh off Mines Road and laid
her on the ground. He then walked home, hiding the car keys under a rock
on the way.
Jodie and Rebecca applied for a relief from abuse order in August of
2003 after four incidents where Edgar used violence upon them. According
to the affidavit, Edgar once grabbed Jodie's wrists so hard during an
argument that he left marks. On another occasion, he pushed his body
into hers to intimidate her. Edgar also used physical violence on
Rebecca, according to the affidavit. "I believe with the most recent
event of us (Edgar and I) separating, I am anticipating and in fear that
the situation will escalate," Jodie stated in the request for relief
from abuse.
The charges were withdrawn a little over one week later.
Judge Cashman held Edgar Whitney without bail and ordered a mental
health evaluation to determine competency and sanity. "The evidence of
guilt in this case is very strong," said Page as to why Edgar should be
held without bail.
Eagle, Edgar's lawyer, said during the arraignment that he plans to
raise issue with Edgar's confession following his recovery from the
overdose.
Sheriff Marcoux said he believes the investigation into this case was
conducted in a proper, classic way. "We got to a resolution very, very
fast because of a lot of foundation work," he said. He added the LCSD
could not have conducted this investigation without the aid of
Morristown and Stowe Police Departments, the Vermont State Police Bureau
of Criminal Investigations and the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Edgar Whitney will reappear in court in approximately 30 days for a
status conference.
The Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, where Jodie worked as a
reservations manager, has established the Jodie Whitney Memorial Fund,
raising money to benefit her surviving two children. Those interested
can send contributions to The Jodie Whitney Memorial Fund, c/o Banknorth
Vermont, PO Box 279, Morrisville, VT 05661.