New HampshireDepartment of JusticeOffice of the Attorney General

News Release

For Immediate Release
January 22, 2015

Contact:
John J. Kennedy, Assistant Attorney General
603-271-3671 (at the Attorney General's Office)
john.kennedy@doj.nh.gov

Final Report Regarding the Deaths of Pauline and Glenn Grassett in Barrington, New Hampshire on March 29, 2014

New Hampshire Attorney General Joseph A. Foster, State Police Colonel Robert L. Quinn, and Barrington Police Chief Richard Conway announce that the investigation into the March 29, 2014 murder-suicide in Barrington has been completed.

The accompanying report summarizes the investigation’s findings and conclusions.

Report

On March 29, 2014, the bodies of Pauline Grassett, age 44, and her husband, Glenn Grassett, age 61, were discovered in their home located at 60 Layne Farm Drive in Barrington, New Hampshire.  Both had suffered gunshot wounds.  On April 1, 2014, the Attorney General issued a press release announcing that New Hampshire’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Thomas Andrew, had conducted autopsies on both bodies and had concluded that Pauline Grassett had been shot multiple times by Glenn Grassett, who then shot himself once in the head.  Pauline Grassett’s death was ruled a homicide.  Glenn Grassett’s death was ruled a suicide.

The Attorney General’s Office has now received all investigative reports from the New Hampshire State Police Major Crime Unit, and has reviewed those reports.  The result of that review is that all of the evidence supports the Medical Examiner’s conclusion that Glenn Grassett shot his wife and then killed himself.  This report will briefly summarize the evidence gathered in the investigation of this incident.

On March 29, 2014, at 1:09 p.m., a 911 caller reported that she was at the Grassett home at 60 Layne Farm Drive attempting to locate her friend, Pauline Grassett.  The caller had plans for the day with Pauline; however, Pauline had not answered her telephone calls.  The caller reported that no one was answering the door at the Grassett home, but that both Pauline and Glenn’s cars were in the garage.

Barrington police officers responded to the home and discovered that it was locked, and that they were unable to gain access.  They called for the Barrington Fire Department to respond to the scene with a ladder.  The first responders used the ladder to look into the windows of an upstairs bedroom, where they saw the body of Pauline Grassett, who was clearly deceased.

The Barrington fire and police officers thereafter forced entry into the home, after which they discovered the body of Glenn Grassett in the first floor master bedroom.  The blinds on the windows of that room were closed, making it impossible to see his body until they entered the home.

Pauline Grassett’s body was found on the bed in a second floor bedroom which appeared to be a guest room.  She was fully clothed, but barefoot.  She had been shot multiple times, and two bullets and several cartridge casings were found in and around the bed she was lying on.  At autopsy, Dr. Andrew concluded that she was shot at least seven, and possibly eight times, in the head, left chest, and back.  Five bullets were recovered at autopsy.

Glenn Grassett’s body was found under the covers in the bed in the first floor master bedroom.  He was also fully clothed, but barefoot.  A Glock pistol was in his right hand, and his right index finger was in the trigger well.  He had sustained one gunshot wound to the right temple, which exited from his left temple.  A cartridge casing was found on the pillow next to his head.  A bullet was recovered from the bedroom wall at a location consistent with the gunshot wound to his head.  The Glock was loaded with one unfired round in the chamber and five in the magazine.

The investigation revealed that before the incident, Pauline and Glenn Grassett were about to divorce.  Friends and family of the couple were aware of this.  Pauline had told others that Glenn was moving out of their home in mid-April to a place he had found in Florida.  Investigators found a document entitled “Addendum to the Separation of Glenn B. Grassett and Pauline E. Grassett” under the bed on which Pauline Grassett’s body was found.  Investigators also found a sales receipt for the Glock pistol in a second floor office area.  The receipt indicated that Glenn Grassett had purchased the firearm in April of 2000.

The investigation also revealed that Pauline Grassett was seeing another man, and that Glenn Grassett was aware of this.  Investigators interviewed this man and discovered that he and Pauline had been together at an area motel during the evening of March 28, until approximately 10:15 p.m.  Records from the motel verified that Pauline Grassett had booked a room at the motel for the night of Friday, March 28; however, the records did not indicate what time she checked out.  Investigators did not locate anyone who had communicated with Pauline after the evening of March 28.  On Saturday, March 29, Pauline missed several scheduled activities, beginning in the morning of that day.

The available evidence therefore indicates that Pauline Grassett returned to her Barrington home sometime after 10:15 p.m. on March 28, and that sometime after that, but before she went to bed for the night her husband, Glenn Grassett shot her multiple times and then shot himself.  Although at least one friend of Pauline’s said that Glenn Grassett had been depressed and suicidal, no one appeared to be aware of any violence or threats of violence by Glenn toward Pauline, and everyone who was aware of the intended divorce believed that the decision to divorce had been an amicable one.

Since both parties involved in this incident are deceased, no criminal charges will be filed and the case will be closed.

New Hampshire Department of Justice
1 Granite Place South | Concord, NH | 03301
Telephone: 603-271-3658