Dustin Duren: Man faces second-degree murder charges for killing wife, missing children found safe
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
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BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Dustin Duren, aged 37, is currently facing second-degree murder charges related to the death of his children's mother.
The tragic incident, which initiated a state of emergency in New Hampshire, began with the discovery of a deceased mother and the subsequent search for her two young children, prompting an Amber Alert on Friday.
New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella disclosed that the sequence of events commenced with a suspicious death on Thursday evening.
Caitlyn Naffziger, 31, was discovered deceased in an apartment on Main Street in Berlin. Following this discovery, her two daughters, Elowyn and Vaelyn Duren, aged 4 and 1 respectively, were reported missing, prompting an urgent search for both the children and their father.
What happened during the search?
During a recorded conversation between a police dispatcher and officers, a cautionary note was relayed indicating that Duren is a Marine veteran suffering from PTSD as per CBS News.
Formella stated that the police sought the public's assistance to locate them. The New Hampshire State Police shared images of Duren and the children, as well as information about the vehicle he might be driving. This action was taken around 4 am on Friday.
Authorities mentioned that Duren could potentially be armed and dangerous but refrained from providing further details.
Several hours later, the New Hampshire State Police canceled the Amber Alert. Formella's office announced that all three individuals were found safe late in the morning in Keene, New Hampshire. Keene is approximately three hours away from Berlin.
The car was observed being removed from an Applebee's parking lot in Keene. However, it is currently unknown where or how they were located. There is no information available yet regarding the circumstances surrounding the mother's death.
What did the witnesses report?
One witness, Elizabeth Everitt reported, "About three cop cars that came racing in here, cops jumped out of the car immediately, had their guns drawn."
She added, "I saw one officer drop their weapon, then they tackled someone to the ground."
Witnesses reported seeing the children being carried into an ambulance. Cassandra Plankey observed, "She looked like she was extremely scared. She was kind of wrapped up on the side of them all, just kind of holding on tight."
Tonya Hansen, who recorded the arrest, stated, "It's very traumatic to watch something like that happen in real time. The little ones were clearly distraught in this situation, so it was a little rough to watch. It was scary to watch police draw weapons on someone in public."
After the situation calmed down, Tonya, who is a nurse, offered snacks and blankets to the girls.
Hansen said, "I just wanted to make sure they were feeling secure and safe and the officers did a great job of cuddling them and keeping them calm through the process."
Assistant Attorney General Bethany Durand said the children are now in state custody, but she can't discuss what happened to them.
She explained, “Can't indicate whether they were present when their mom was shot, I can say they were found, they are safe and they're being cared for."
Prosecutors have stated that the medical examiner conducted an autopsy on Naffziger's body, revealing that she died from a gunshot wound to the head. Duren is scheduled to appear in court on Monday for arraignment.
