Brattleboro shelter case ends with guilty plea in 2023 killing

The woman accused of killing of shelter coordinator Leah Rosin-Pritchard has admitted guilt in Windham Superior Court.

The woman accused in the April 3, 2023 killing of shelter coordinator Leah Rosin-Pritchard has admitted guilt in Windham Superior Court.

Zaaina Mahvish-Jammeh, 42, entered a plea to second-degree murder on Tuesday morning in the Criminal Division. Judge Heather Gray said lawyers are discussing a possible punishment of 20 years to life, with 10 years to serve and lifetime probation after release. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered, and a later hearing will determine the final sentence, with statements from victims expected at that time.

According to the plea agreement, Mahvish-Jammeh had been living at Morningside House and arranged to speak with Rosin-Pritchard, 37, before attacking her with an ax that had been concealed beneath a sheet. The agreement says the blows were delivered across Rosin-Pritchard’s face and body and caused injuries that threatened her life.

The criminal case has unfolded alongside a civil lawsuit brought by Rosin-Pritchard’s parents, Paula Rosin and David Pritchard, who are represented by attorney James Valente and are acting as administrators of her estate. Their wrongful death and intentional negligence claims against Groundworks remain pending in Windham Superior Court, Civil Division. A request by Groundworks to dismiss the suit on workers compensation grounds was rejected, and discovery in the case is now underway.

Mahvish-Jammeh’s mental health has also played a major role in the proceedings. A judge previously found she was suffering from mania and psychosis, leading to an order for hospitalization in 2023 and a ruling that she was not fit to stand trial at that time. She was later found competent in 2024, and the case had been set for trial in January.

Separately, Groundworks has already paid a Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration penalty of about $10,000, later reduced by half after safety measures were put in place.

The site of the former shelter on Royal Road now includes a new facility, Hope's House, which opened earlier this month at the Morningside House location. Groundworks leaders said the new building was designed with stronger safety measures and improved programming, while also acknowledging the loss tied to the previous shelter and saying they intend to carry forward the lessons from it.