Essex Junction, VT – Vermont State Police are renewing calls for information in a decades-old homicide case connected to the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds.
According to Vermont State Police, Robert R. Gilson Jr. was found unresponsive in his sleeping bag on Sept. 5, 1982, inside one of the barns at the fairgrounds in Essex Junction. Investigators said Gilson had been assisting a farmer by showing cattle on the fair circuit.
Authorities determined Gilson’s death to be a homicide, though the case has remained unsolved for more than 40 years. Police did not release further details about the manner of his death but confirmed the investigation is still active.
State police are now urging anyone with knowledge of the case—or any other unsolved homicide in Vermont—to come forward. Tips can be submitted to the Major Crimes Unit through the department’s website at http://vsp.vermont.gov/unsolved/homicide.
The unsolved case remains one of several highlighted by Vermont investigators in their effort to generate new leads from the public. Detectives continue to review past evidence and statements in hopes that advances in forensic technology or new information might finally provide answers in Gilson’s death.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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