BARRE, Vt. (AP) – A Vermont woman pleaded guilty Thursday to killing a social worker who she believed played a role in her losing custody of a 9-year-old daughter and three relatives she believed had turned her in to the state.
Jody Herring, appearing in a court near the state office building where social worker Lara Sobel died, entered the guilty pleas to one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder.
Herring, 42, admitted shooting Sobel as Sobel left work on Aug. 7, 2015. She also killed cousins Regina Herring and Rhonda Herring, and her aunt Julie Falzarano.
In court Thursday, Herring answered a judge’s questions about the case.
She could be sentenced to life without parole. Sentencing will come at a later date.
Police said Herring shot Sobel twice with a hunting rifle outside an office of the state Department for Children and Families in Barre as Sobel, a 14-year employee at the agency, left work. She was tackled by bystanders and then arrested.
The next day, police were called to a home in the neighboring town of Berlin where they found the bodies of Herring’s relatives. It’s believed Herring killed her relatives before going to Barre and shooting Sobel.
Sobel’s death prompted the state to make security enhancements to many state buildings, including adding safety glass reception windows, panic buttons, lock down buttons and security cameras.
___
This story has been corrected to remove a comment that Herring said she wished she were dead.