Suspect arrested in 2022 Springfield murder case, whom police link to drug dispute

Vermont State Police said Wednesday that Paul Lachapelle Jr. of Littleton, New Hampshire, was arrested in the state and charged with the 2022 murder of Justin Gilliam in Springfield, Vermont.

“VSP's investigation determined that the murder was related to a dispute between several individuals involved in the illegal drug trade,” police wrote in a news release, noting that Lachapelle was living in Springfield at the time of the murder. State police obtained an arrest warrant in connection with the murder last week, they said.

Gilliam's killing came amid a series of gun crimes in Springfield centered on Valley Street. In the months that followed, federal, state and local police forces descended on the city, leading to the indictment of at least eight people.

State police said Lachapelle, 28, was arrested by New Hampshire State Police on Wednesday. He will be extradited to Vermont to face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, police said.

Gilliam was found dead on Greeley Road in Springfield on June 6, 2022. According to police, an autopsy revealed that he died from a gunshot wound to the head.