Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised. This story contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers discretion advised.
Emily Jean Ferlazzo (née Schwarz), a 22-year-old nurse from New Hampshire, was brutally murdered by her husband, Joseph Ferlazzo Jr., during what was supposed to be a celebratory one-year wedding anniversary trip to Vermont in October 2021.
The case, which involved a shooting, post-mortem mutilation, and a cover-up attempt, drew significant attention due to its shocking details and the couple’s “van-life” lifestyle.
Ferlazzo, a 42-year-old tattoo artist at the time, was convicted of first-degree murder in December 2024 and sentenced to 42.5 years in prison without parole in April 2025.
Emily Ferlazzo: Described by family as vibrant, loving, and musically talentedshe enjoyed singing .
And had a “beautiful voice.” She worked as a nurse and was excited about her future. Friends and relatives noted she was “happy” and full of energy.
Joseph Ferlazzo: A tattoo artist from Northfield, New Hampshire,he and Emily lived a nomadic “van-life” in a converted bus camper.
The couple had been married for just over a year and traveled to Bolton, Vermont, to visit Joseph’s sister and celebrate their anniversary at an Airbnb near Bolton Valley Resort.
Prosecutors highlighted a history of domestic abuse in the marriage, with evidence suggesting Ferlazzo was controlling and violent. The defense countered that Emily had been abusive toward Joseph, including physical altercations.
the killing occurred inside the couple’s camper van parked near Route 2 in Bolton, Vermont, following an argument fueled by alcohol consumption. According to trial testimony and Ferlazzo’s confession.
The couple had been drinking earlier in the evening,an argument escalated; Ferlazzo claimed Emily punched and kicked him, and that she grabbed his loaded Glock handgun, making him fear for his life.
Ferlazzo sat silently for about five minutes after the initial fight, then retrieved the gun, jumped on top of Emily, held a throw pillow over her face, and fired two shots into the left side of her head at close range.
Emily died from the gunshot wounds; her cause of death was ruled a homicide.
In a gruesome aftermath, Ferlazzo stabbed her body 18 times post-mortem (possibly to dismember it further) and partially dismembered her remains, leaving them in the camper’s bathroom. He attempted to clean up blood and evidence but fled the scene.
Ferlazzo later told investigators he acted in self-defense, believing Emily was about to shoot him. Prosecutors argued this was premeditated murder, pointing to the deliberate pause, use of the pillow as a silencer, and the excessive mutilation as evidence of intent to cover up the crime.
On October 20, 2021 (the day after the murder), Emily’s family reported her missing when Ferlazzo returned to New Hampshire alone.
He claimed they argued, Emily stormed out and started walking along Route 2, and he couldn’t find her after a brief search,he said he last saw her near Bolton Valley Resort Access Road.
Ferlazzo’s story unraveled quickly. He dropped off the couple’s dog, Remington, at a friend’s house (where it was later found unharmed)
and gave inconsistent accounts. Cell phone data and witness statements placed the camper in the area.
Vermont State Police located the abandoned camper on October 21. Inside, they found Emily’s bloodied and dismembered remains in the bathroom, along with the Glock and cleaning supplies.
During a two-hour police interview (played in full at trial), Ferlazzo admitted to the shooting and dismemberment but maintained self-defense. He was arrested four days after the murder, on October 21, 2021.
Forensic analysis confirmed the gunshots as the cause of death, with no evidence supporting Ferlazzo’s claim that Emily posed an imminent threat. Phone records and witness testimony from Joseph’s sister contradicted his timeline.
Vermont v. Joseph Ferlazzo
December 2024
First-degree murder (premeditated killing), with lesser options of second-degree murder or voluntary manslaughter.
Prosecution (led by Sarah George) Emphasized premeditation, replaying the confession and using a five-minute timer in closing arguments to demonstrate Ferlazzo’s deliberate pause. They presented forensic experts, cell data, and evidence of abuse history.
Defense (led by Margaret Jansch) Argued self-defense, citing Emily’s alleged aggression and a pattern of mutual abuse. Ferlazzo was the sole defense witness, tearfully recounting the argument but admitting to multiple lies about Emily’s whereabouts post-murder.
Cross-Examination HighlightProsecutor Jessica Adams grilled Ferlazzo on his fabrications, ending with, “And you’re lying today.”
After five days of testimony, the Chittenden County jury deliberated for about five hours over two days before convicting on first-degree murder on December 13, 2024. Jurors requested to re-hear parts of Ferlazzo’s testimony.
Emily’s family wore “End Domestic Violence” shirts in court. Her mother, Adrienne Bass, called the verdict “relief… the justice that Emily deserves.”
Sentencing: April 24, 2025
In Chittenden County Superior Court, Burlington, Judge John Pacht sentenced Ferlazzo ,then 45 to 42.5 years without parole—above the 35-year minimum for first-degree murder but below the prosecution’s request for 50+ years and the defense’s ask for 15.
He apologized directly to Adrienne Bass, saying, “I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused.”
Pacht cited the brutality, cover-up, and domestic violence context, balancing it against Ferlazzo’s lack of prior record.
In 2023, Emily’s family won a wrongful death lawsuit against Ferlazzo, awarding them $1.5 million (largely symbolic, as he’s incarcerated).