'Complex' probe into Farmington murders far from over

Timothy Verrill is charged in the deaths of Christine Sullivan, left, and Jenna Pellegrini.

DOVER - A time-consuming and painstaking investigation surrounding the case of two women found brutally stabbed to dead at a Farmington home continues, the lead prosecutor in the case told The Lebanon Voice on Wednesday.

Previously any possible indictment against Timothy Verrill of Dover was expected in April or May, but last week a Strafford County Superior Court judge granted Assistant Attorney General Geoffrey Ward a three-month extension that extends to mid-July.

Verrill, 34, of 38 Cushing St., is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Christine Sullivan, 48, who split her time between southwest Florida and Farmington; and Jenna Pellegrini, 32, of Barrington.

Their bodies were discovered around 3 a.m. on Jan. 29 when Farmington Police responded to a 911 call at 979 Meaderboro Road, however court documents allege the crime occurred on Jan. 27, the previous Friday.

Evidence in what prosecutors characterize as a "complex" case is expected to include thousands of pages of documents as well as dozens of CDs containing audio recordings and photographs.

Dean Smoronk with girlfriend Christine Sullivan (Facebook photo)

Adding to the complexity is the fact that Dean Smoronk, the owner of the property and a longtime boyfriend of Sullivan, is awaiting trial in a South Carolina court in a meth trafficking case.

It was Smoronk who told police he found the bodies after returning home late Jan. 28 on a flight from Florida, where he and Sullivan also spent time.

The brother of Sullivan, Jeff Sullivan of Monmouth, N.J., told The Lebanon Voice in March that his sister, Smoronk and Verrill were all friends.

He said his sister had known Verrill for three years and that Smoronk had known him a lot longer than that, though he couldn't be specific.

He said Verrill had traveled to Florida a couple of times with Smoronk where he owns property in southwest Florida that he rents out in the winter.

Jeff Sullivan told The Lebanon Voice in February that the relationship between his sister and Smoronk had always been a "tumultuous one" and that drugs were often involved, alluding to the South Carolina arrest several years ago that ensnared both his sister and Smoronk and where he is expected to possibly face trial later this year.

In that 2014 case, Smoronk and Christina Marie Cuozzo, then 45, of 979 Meaderboro Road, Farmington, were stopped in South Carolina on I-95 after their car pulled into the lane of a Sumter County deputy and almost sideswiped the cruiser in 2014, according to news reports.

During the stop, a K-9 unit was called and suspected methamphetamine was found in Cuozzo's purse and a large quantity of suspected methamphetamine was found inside a fake energy drink along with a small amount of marijuana, pills and an unknown white powder inside a black computer bag, according to the report. Marie Cuozzo was later identified by law enforcement officials as an alias for the late Christine Sullivan.

In March Sumter County Assistant Prosecutor Scott Matthews said a trafficking of meth conviction could land Smoronk in prison for up to 10 years.

Matthews at the time confirmed he had been in touch with New Hampshire police regarding the deaths of Sullivan and Pelligrini but made no further comment on the case. He did not return several phone calls from The Lebanon Voice this week.

Ward said on Wednesday that requesting an extension on the time to indict in a murder trial is not unusual nor is it unusual to have thousands of pages of evidence. He said there is no limit to the number of extensions that can be granted or approved.

Meanwhile, Verrill continues to be held without bail.