Timothy Verrill verdict: Guilty of murdering two women

DOVER — A jury found Timothy Verrill guilty of second-degree murder for killing two women at a Farmington home in 2017. The verdict was issued Wednesday afternoon in Strafford County Superior Court.

He was found not guilty of first-degree murder. Verrill was also found guilty on all five charges of falsifying physical evidence. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Verrill has been in jail since 2017, when he was arrested and charged with killing Christine Sullivan and Jenna Pellegrini, who were both bludgeoned and stabbed to death on Jan. 27, 2017 at a 969 Meaderboro Road home in Farmington owned by Dean Smoronk, who was Sullivan’s boyfriend.

Prosecutors react to Timothy Verrill second-degree murder conviction

Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley and Assistant Attorney General Brian Greklek-McKeon gave a brief interview. They thanked the jury and the families of the victims.

"It has been a long road for the families," Hinckley said. "It has been a difficult process and seven years."

New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella also issued a statement.

“Our hearts go out to the families of Christine Sullivan and Jenna Pellegrini as well as to all those who knew and loved them," Formella's statement reads. "Today’s verdict delivers justice, and we hope it also brings some solace to the victims’ loved ones. Today we reaffirm our state’s commitment to justice and the value of every life. I extend my thanks to our trial team, to the New Hampshire State Police, and to the Farmington Police Department for their tireless work on this case.”

Verrill's defense, through public defender Julia Nye, declined to comment after the verdict was issued. 

Verrill had been on trial since March. This is the second trial in the case, following a 2019 mistrial because New Hampshire State Police failed to provide some evidence to the defense in discovery.

Hinckley and Greklek-McKeon had asked the jury for a first degree murder conviction. Hinckley said that would have resulted in an automatic sentence of life in prison without the chance of parole in New Hampshire.

"We felt his actions before, during and after the crime warranted that but the jury felt differently," Hinckley said. "The sentence will be up to the judge now."

Hinckley said he was not surprised the jury, which had deliberated since last Thursday, took as long as it did to reach a verdict.

"A jury takes as long as they need to," he said. "There is never any way to know how long it will take."

On Tuesday morning, one juror was out sick, so one of the alternates was called to duty. That new juror had to be brought up to speed on the deliberations that had already taken place before the process could continue.

Asked why Smoronk, the boyfriend of Christine Sullivan was not called as a witness, Hinckley said each side has long lists of potential witnesses and the decision is made during the trial on who to call. He did not explain further.

In closing arguments last week, Senior Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley, the lead prosecutor, told the jury evidence shows Verrill planned to spy on the women, believing at least one was a drug informant, that he returned to the house, murdered the women, cleaned the scene, and moved the bodies.

"He used multiple weapons, in a brutal attack," said Hinckley. "He made a conscious decision to kill them so hold him responsible."

The defense painted a very different picture, portraying Verrill as the scapegoat, a fall guy for the people who really killed Sullivan and Pellegrini.

Public defender Julia Nye argued there is reasonable doubt and focused heavily on DNA found under the fingernails of the victims that did not match Verrill. She also emphasized broken rings belonging to Sullivan, which also excluded Verrill from a DNA match. Nye also suggested others, including Smoronk, were ignored by investigators as potential suspects. The prosecution said evidence shows Smoronk was in Florida at the time of the killings.