Former Maine man sentenced in ’97 home invasion

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, Vt. – A decade after an elderly couple was tied up and robbed in their Royalton home, a second man has been sentenced in the crime.

Stuart Jones, 52, was sentenced Monday to 18 to 22 years in prison.

“It was a horrible crime,” said Windsor County State’s Attorney Robert Sand. “He was related to the victims. They were both 76 years old, they were bound and had a lot of money stolen. It’s also significant that it took 10 years to bring this case to justice. It was great detective work by [Vermont State Police Lt.] Ray Keefe, and a fortunate turn of events.”

As part of a plea deal, two counts of kidnapping were changed to burglary and two counts of second-degree unlawful restraint. Jones has been sentenced to one to five years each on the unlawful restraint charges.

On Feb. 11, 1997, two men wearing ski masks forced their way into the Royalton home of Warren and Katharine Williams after learning they kept a large amount of cash in their home. After a violent struggle in which shots were fired, the two were tied up with duct tape. About $20,000 worth of cash and property was taken.

Investigators found out later that a relative of Jones – whose last known address was in Sanford, Maine – is married to a daughter of the Williamses. Last year, an arrest warrant charging him with two counts of kidnapping was issued. He was tracked to Las Vegas and then to Greenwood, S.C.

The first arrest came two years ago, when police were led to Manchester, N.H., where they recovered some of the Williamses’ property and arrested Daniel Daigle, 33. He is now serving a four-year prison sentence.