Death penalty sought for Vt. man who police say shot to death two WMass men
BURLINGTON, Vt. — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has given federal prosecutors in Vermont the green light to seek the death penalty for a Burlington man who authorities say fatally shot two Western Massachusetts drug dealers in the Northeast Kingdom two years ago.
Theodore "Theo" Bland, 30 , formerly of Stowe, sat expressionless as Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Turner disclosed Bondi's ruling during a brief hearing in federal court in Burlington on Thursday afternoon.
Bland, who was dressed in a bright orange prison sweatshirt, appeared by video from Cheshire County Jail in Keene, N.H. One of his defense lawyers, Bruce D. Koffsky, of Fairfield, Connecticut, said a decision was made not to have Bland transported from the jail, which is far from Burlington.
Theodore BlandProvided photo
Turner explained that a federal grand jury will be asked to issue a new indictment that will cover the requirements that would allow for the death penalty, if Bland is convicted. He said that indictment should come by mid-November, and the prosecution will provide formal written notice to the court for the death penalty.
Bland has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including gunning down the two men at a home in Lowell on Oct. 12, 2023.
The bodies of Jahim "Debo" Solomon, 21, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Eric "E" White, 21, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, were found about two weeks later in the town of Eden in nearby Lamoille County about a mile apart.
Senior Federal Judge William K. Sessions III said during the hearing that if a new indictment is obtained, the court would schedule an arraignment.
Sessions also set Feb. 23 for the next status conference in the Bland case.
Turner was flanked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Ophardt, chief of the criminal division in the office. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher sat in the first row behind his prosecutors as the disclosure was made.
After the hearing, Koffsky declined to elaborate on his in-court comments.
Drescher also declined comment.
After the court hearing, the defense team, which includes longtime St. Johnsbury lawyer David Sleigh, met behind closed doors in a first-floor conference room to discuss the latest developments.
Koffsky said in court the defense might have to reformat its team, now that the death penalty is on the table for sure.
Koffsky was added to the case on March 17 as "learned counsel" for the defense because of his expertise in death penalty work. He has defended at least 10 high-profile homicide cases since 2019 and has attended various relevant continuing legal education training, including Federal Death Penalty Strategy Sessions for the past four years, court records note. Francis O'Reilly, another lawyer from Fairfield, Connecticut, was added in May.
The death penalty decision marks the second time in 2.5 months that Bondi and the Justice Department have approved use of capital punishment for a high-profile homicide case in Vermont.
In the other case, Teresa C. Youngblut, 21, of Seattle, Washington, is charged with fatally shooting an on-duty U.S. Border Patrol Agent about 3:15 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Northeast Kingdom. Youngblut is a member of a radical cult group, officials said.
Bland comes from a well-known Stowe family, which includes his father, Richard Bland, a lawyer and a former member of the town School Board.
The double homicide is part of a complex interstate drug trafficking ring. At least eight people have been charged in U.S. District Court as part of the case investigated by the Vermont Drug Task Force, state and Morristown police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Other involved people have been charged in state court.
Bland was first reported in December 2023 as the main person of interest in the double homicide.
Republican President Donald J. Trump, who was inaugurated to a second term on Jan. 20, had told Bondi that he wanted more use of the death penalty in serious drug cases.
Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, had called for a halt in capital cases.
Bland was initially charged before Trump took office, but a new indictment added two possible death penalty counts. Bland has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges of carrying and discharging a firearm while drug trafficking on Oct. 12, 2023. The two counts involve the deaths of Solomon and White.
The double shooting on Oct. 12, 2023, happened at a mobile home at 497 Eden Road in Lowell, although some witnesses claimed the trailer was in the town of Albany, officials said. It was the residence of Donald "D.J." Billow, police said.
Investigators reported Billow noted it was his grandmother's residence. Billow also knew two "plugs" — street talk for drug dealers or suppliers — were staying at the trailer, police said. They were believed to be White and Solomon, who were initially staying at an Airbnb in Stowe.
On the day of the shooting Billow said he only got into the kitchen when he saw Bland "going crazy and running around with a firearm. Billow advised he observed 'Theo' shooting the gun down the hallway at the door to the bedroom," court records note.
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