The man accused of murdering Fern Feather last year is now accused of trying to escape from a Vermont jail. The Department of Corrections says Seth Brunell tried to escape from a secure section at Northeast Correctional Complex in St. Johnsbury.  DOC says security staff became aware of the attempt Tuesday afternoon. DOC says Brunell did not leave the secure section of the facility and did not pose a danger to the public during the event. 

Vermont State Police were notified and per Department protocol all correctional facilities did an emergency headcount; all incarcerated individuals were accounted for statewide Tuesday. 

The Department of Corrections is reviewing what happened and Vermont State Police will conduct a separate, independent investigation into the matter. 

Seth Brunell has been lodged at NECC since April 2022 on a charge of second-degree murder. He is accused in the stabbing death of 29 year old Fern Feather, a transgender woman, in Lamoille County on April 12, 2022. Last year, a judge ordered Brunell to remain in custody until trial.