Bennington couple take plea deal connected to Danby homicide

BENNINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A Bennington couple on Thursday took plea agreements connected to a teen's shooting death in Danby in 2022. It comes as police now say the suspected shooters are now in custody.

Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Rodriguez was found dead on the side of Danby Mountain Road in February 2022. Investigators say the shooting happened after a fight over drug trafficking and stolen firearms.

The Vermont State Police say three men accused of the shooting - John Pena-Baez, Joerick Johnson, and Christopher Morgan - are behind bars out-of-state for unrelated crimes. They have not yet been charged with the death of Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, two people prosecutors say were accomplices to the murder took plea agreements Thursday. Ashley Wicks and Shawn Bulson, both of Bennington, were arrested in April. Wicks drove the getaway car, although her attorneys say she didn't know about a plan for the shooting. Bulson was charged with providing false information to police during their investigation in an attempt to cover for Wicks.

Members of Rodriguez's family on Thursday shared how the crime has affected them. "The emotional toll has been immense. my family and I often feel a sense of anger and frustration, not just at the circumstances of Isaiah's death but also at those animals that are responsible for his murder. The void that he left us affects us in ways that we are only beginning to understand. The root effects of his absence will be felt forever," said Maria Figueroa, Rodriguez's aunt.

Wicks will serve 18 months to seven years in prison. Bulson will serve six months to five years. Another man, Elijah Johnson, is also charged with accessory after the fact.