Police Focus On Farm Family Again

St. Albans, Vermont -- August 8, 2005

A new development Monday in connection with the unsolved sniper killing of farmhand Kenny Jerome in Sheldon last month.

For the second time in a week a member of the farm family that had been feuding with Jerome was in court facing criminal charges.

Police have not yet made an arrest or named a suspect in connection with Kenny Jerome's murder.

But the investigation has focused on the Harrness farm of Sheldon who, according to court records, had good reason to want Jerome out of the way.

Tom Harrness, 32, was in court accused of threatening a woman who is scheduled to testify against his brother Dennis in an arson trial.

Harrness made a gun with his hand and pretended to shoot the woman as she drove by and she was scared and mad, according to police affidavits.

Last fall Tom Harrness was convicted of threatening another witness in his brother's arson case. Monday he pled innocent to new charges of obstruction of justice and probation violation. He was released on $5,000 cash bail and bolted from the courthouse without comment.

His hearing comes one week after his brother Dennis Harness was ordered held without bail for violating probation for his April arson conviction.

He is awaiting trial on two additional arson charges that could land him in prison for twenty years.

33-year-old Kenny Jerome was scheduled to be a key state witness -- but two weeks before the trial he was killed sniper-style by a single bullet as he worked on the farm that neighbors Dennis Harness's home.

Within 24 hours of the shooting police searched the farms and homes owned by the Harness family, but there have been no arrests and police have not identified any suspects.

Dennis Harness is scheduled to be tried on the two remaining arson charges next month in St. Johnsbury.

Brian Joyce - Channel 3 News