by GARDNER, Mass. — Two years after the shocking killing of a Massachusetts mother of four, her husband — the suspected murderer — remains on the run. According to the victim’s aunt, the fugitive father, Aaron Pennington, looked his 9-year-old daughter in the eyes before fleeing the home where his wife lay dead.
The Chilling Scene
Authorities say Pennington, now 35, shot his wife Breanne “Breezy” Pennington, 30, three times in the back of the head while she slept on October 22, 2023. After allegedly barricading the bedroom door with a dresser, Pennington escaped through a window — leaving his children, ages 2, 5, 7, and 9, alone with their mother’s body.
The eldest child reportedly watched her father drive away.
“He looked his daughter in her eyes as he drove off, knowing he was leaving her responsible for four children with a dead mother,” said Brenda Hull, Breezy’s aunt, in an interview with Fox News Digital.
The Discovery and Aftermath
The children, waiting to go to church that morning, ran to a neighbor’s house for help after realizing something was wrong. Members of the family’s Mormon church forced open the bedroom door and found Breezy dead.
State police located Pennington’s white BMW a day later at Camp Collier, a Boy Scouts campground about 10 miles away, but no trace of him was ever found. Despite weeks of ground and aerial searches, Pennington remains missing.
Suspect’s Background and Mental Health
Hull said Pennington had a history of claiming mental illness — but she questions whether those claims were genuine.
“Every time Aaron had responsibility that he didn’t want anymore, he would all of a sudden be mentally ill,” she alleged.
Investigators found suicide-related notes on his phone, but Hull believes they may have been staged to mislead police. She said Pennington often wrote in journals and never mentioned depression or suicidal thoughts.
The murder came one day after Pennington returned from a visit to his parents in California. Hull said he borrowed money from his father and later told a friend he was “ten steps ahead of everyone.”
“There’s no planning in a murder-suicide,” Hull reasoned. “The only reason you need to be ten steps ahead is because you’re going to run.”
“Living Off the Grid”
Hull believes Pennington, who once talked about living off the grid, may have successfully disappeared.
“Nobody hides their car and then hides themselves to commit suicide when they know they have four children that they supposedly love,” she said.
Authorities say Pennington is 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighs about 175 pounds, and has blond hair and blue eyes — though he may have changed his appearance. Hull described him as having “gnarly teeth” and “very round eyes.”
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Plea for Justice
Hull continues to urge Pennington to surrender for the sake of his children.
“I want him to know that his children are asking about him, that they love him, that they have good memories of him, and they want to see him,” she said.
Ongoing Search
Police are still seeking leads in the case and have asked hunters, hikers, and residents near Camp Collier to remain alert.
Aaron Pennington is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone who sees him is urged to call 911 immediately or contact:
- State Police detectives (Worcester County DA’s Office): 508-832-9124
- Gardner Police Department: 978-632-5600
Do you think Aaron Pennington could still be alive and hiding in plain sight? Share your thoughts in the comments at race-day-live.com.
