By Doug LaRocque

Vermont State Police have announced the arrest of two Bennington residents in connection with the Feb. 3, 2022, death of a Springfield, Massachusetts, man in Danby.

Ashley Wicks, 32, and Shawn Bulson, 28, are charged with being accessories after the fact in a fatal shooting. Wicks was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

The body of 17-year-old Isaiah Rodriquez was found that winter morning along Danby Mountain Road, the victim of several gunshot wounds to the torso, according to police.

State police detectives claim the homicide arose from a dispute among a group of people regarding drug trafficking and stolen firearms. Troopers say more arrests are expected as the investigation continues.