NH Amber Alert tragedy
Mom murdered, as kids found safe: AG
A pair of missing New Hampshire children were “safely located” yesterday after their mother was found dead with their dad charged with her murder, authorities said.
An Amber Alert for 4-year-old Elowyn Duren and 1-year-old Vaelyn Duren was canceled around 10:30 a.m. after they were last seen with their father Dusten Mark Duren, 37, New Hampshire State Police said.
The children were found at an Applebee’s restaurant parking lot in Keene, N.H., about 170 miles away. N.H. authorities thanked the public for calling in tips on the case.
Witness Rick Fuller told the Associated Press he saw about five local police cars and a state trooper converge on a white car in the parking lot. Fuller, who owns Rick’s Gourmet Ice Cream store across the street, said there were no sirens and the event seemed relatively low key. He saw only two officers draw their weapons while others did not.
“I was just surprised that they ended up in Keene,” Fuller said.
Police found the body of the children’s mother, Caitlyn Naffziger, 31, when they entered an apartment at 1063 Main St. in Berlin, New Hampshire at around 10:30 p.m. Thursday night. The medical examiner said she was killed by “a single gunshot wound to the head.”
A spokesperson for New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said Dusten was “with police” in Keane, New Hampshire. Following an autopsy of Naffziger, Dusten was charged with second-degree murder “for knowingly causing Ms. Naffziger’s death by shooting her,” the AG’s office said.
Duren is set to be arraigned on Monday.
As part of the investigation into the death, police initially issued an Amber Alert asking for help finding the “missing and endangered children.”
Elowyn Duren was described as three feet tall, 30 pounds, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Vaelyn Duren was described as an infant, 20 pounds, blonde hair, and blue eyes.
Before authorities found them safe, the two children were last seen in Berlin, N.H., Thursday around 8 p.m. with the father.
Duren was driving a white 2017 Subaru Impreza 4 with New Hampshire Veteran registration number V69023.
“The New Hampshire Department of Justice, New Hampshire State Police, and the Berlin Police Department extend their thanks to the efforts of the Keene Police Department for assisting in responding to the report of Mr. Duren’s vehicle and his children to ensure their safety today,” the AG’s office said in a statement late yesterday. “We also thank the citizens who responded to the Amber Alert and were alert throughout the State to safely find and locate both children.”