Vermont Department of Corrections announced the death of Alfred Brochu

Vermont Department of Corrections announced the death of Alfred Brochu, a convicted murderer who was born and raised in the Newport area that was serving a life sentence at Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility in Mississippi. Alfred Brochu, 71, was found unresponsive in his cell shortly after noon on Sunday. TCCF medical staff immediately began life-saving measures and called for emergency medical services. Brochu regained consciousness and was taken by ambulance to Northwest Delta Regional Medical Center in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where he was listed in critical condition. Brochu passed away at the hospital after midnight on Monday. Brochu was serving a sentence of life without parole for aggravated murder. He was found guilty of murdering Tara Stratton, the 18-year-old former girlfriend of his son. The gruesome crime occurred in Barre in 2003. Police said he sexually assaulted and stabbed the teen. Brochu, then 50, had been living in Randolph at the time. He was found guilty during a jury trial and the Vermont Supreme Court later confirmed the conviction on appeal. Brochu had numerous prior convictions, including a 1991 conviction for sexual assault on a minor and simple assault out of Orleans County, as well as a simple assault in Caledonia County in 1992 and Orange County in 2002. He had previously served time in multiple Vermont prisons, including the one in St. Johnsbury. Brochu was transferred out of state in 2011. Brochu’s death was described as an acute medical event and does not appear suspicious at this time, reported DOC officials.