Missing Conn. woman's car found burning; cops fear foul play
RUTLAND COUNTY, Vt. -- Police believe there is a "strong indication of foul play" in the disappearance of a Connecticut woman who was last seen in Vermont last month, according to a Vermont State Police news release.
Denise L. Hart, of Hartford, Conn., was last seen Jan. 25 leaving a friend's house in Sudbury, Vt. - a town about 50 miles south of Burlington. Police now say that the 2001 silver Pontiac Grand Am she had borrowed from an acquaintance and was driving the night she disappeared was discovered fully engulfed in flames early Jan. 26 near a covered bridge in Cornwall, about ten miles north of Sudbury.
The cause of the fire is undetermined, but is considered suspicious, Major Glenn Hall, commander of the criminal division, told the Burlington Free Press. The small town of Sudbury has a population of about 560, reports the paper.
The disappearance wasn't reported to police until Jan. 31, according to the news release.
On Feb. 11, state and federal officials searched a property in Sudbury, police say. It's not clear how the property may be connected to Hart. A spokesman for the Vermont State Police couldn't immediately be reached for comment Monday.
Investigators have conducted numerous interviews with people who may have had contact with Hart in the weeks and months before she vanished, police say.
Based on their investigation, Vermont State Police say they believe Hart has fallen victim to foul play. They're encouraging anyone with information to contact them at 802-773-9101.
Hart has connections to Addison County, Vt., as well as Hartford, Conn. She is also known to use the nicknames "Chookie" and "Tiffany."
Police describe Hart as 5 feet, 1 inch tall, with brown eyes, weighing 115 lbs. According to a flier on the Vermont Missing Persons Facebook page, Hart has several tattoos.
