New Hampshire

Judge frees money, but not for murder suspect

By James A. Kimble , Staff writer
Eagle-Tribune
Published: May 15, 2007

A judge has freed the prosecution's grasp on $83,000 belonging to accused murderer Sheila LaBarre, but decided it can only go to the family of her alleged victim.

The decision, which was made public yesterday, is another financial blow for LaBarre, 48, of Epping, as she prepares for her trial on first-degree murder charges.

Three weeks ago, LaBarre appeared in Rockingham County Superior Court to ask Judge Patricia Coffey to release the money that state police have held as evidence. LaBarre, who is accused of killing Kenneth Countie, 24, of Tewksbury, Mass., claims she was on her way to hire a lawyer with the large sum of cash in hand when she was apprehended by police in Revere, Mass.

In a separate decision, Coffey denied LaBarre's request to strike a $10 million attachment in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Countie's mother, Carolynn Lodge, of Billerica, Mass. LaBarre wanted the attachment delayed until after her criminal trial.

Coffey ruled that LaBarre, who has represented herself in the civil case, failed to detail any reason for her request.

"Though the defendant asserts that the attachment is excessive, she fails to support that contention in any way," Coffey wrote.

Lawyer Peter Eleey of Quincy, Mass., who represents Countie's estate, said the next step will be for Countie's family to request a hearing so a judge can determine the amount of damages to be levied against LaBarre. He said yesterday no immediate date has been chosen by Countie's family to make that request.

"We are pleased the court denied the request Sheila LaBarre made, as we believed they should have," Eleey said. "The family is grateful for the ruling by the court. It's been a difficult year and will continue to be as they still miss their son greatly."

LaBarre's criminal lawyer, Jeffrey Denner, said he believed the judge's decision doesn't entirely rule out LaBarre from obtaining the $80,000.

"We're quite pleased," he said. "We didn't expect the judge to dissolve the civil attachment. This is a good first step for us. Now we'll move ahead to what's next."

Lodge became concerned about her son last March when he moved to LaBarre's 115-acre horse farm. By the end of the month, police were sifting burn piles in front of LaBarre's home for shattered bone fragments believed to be Countie's remains.

State police detectives found blood spatter matching Countie's DNA throughout the house, according to a police affidavit. LaBarre had made a number of bizarre statements to police just before and after Countie's remains were found, including that she had burned "a rabbit."

Once a warrant was issued for her arrest, LaBarre allegedly fled, first going to the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, then later to Massachusetts with $33,000 in cash and a $50,000 traveler's check. She is expected to go to trial next year.