5 in N.H. charged with moving dead body, hiding evidence of death

Five people have been accused of moving a body and other evidence in connection to “the untimely death” of a Newport, New Hampshire man, according to police.

Mark Hudson, 40, was found dead in a wooded area off of Paradise Road in Newport on Wednesday, just a day after Newport police opened a missing person investigation, the department noted in a press release.

Hudson’s body was found “(f)ollowing an exhaustive multi-agency effort,” police said.

On Thursday, amid an ongoing investigation, police issued arrest warrants for five people. Those individuals are Laurel Ayotte, 50; Christopher Ayotte, Jr., 27; Jacob Ayotte, 19; and Candace Fontaine, 31 — all of Newport, New Hampshire — and Ryan Palmer, 32, of Sunapee, New Hampshire.

All five people are facing a Class B felony charge for conspiracy to commit falsifying physical evidence and a Class A misdemeanor charge for conspiracy to commit abuse of a corpse.

Authorities allege that the suspects “conspired to unlawfully remove the body of Mr. Hudson and other evidence from the scene of his death.”

Laurel Ayotte, Christopher Ayotte, Jr., Jacob Ayotte, and Fontaine were all arrested and held without bail at the Sullivan County House of Corrections, pending arraignment in Sullivan Surperior Court.

Police had still been looking for Palmer on Thursday when he turned himself in that evening, WCVB reported.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of Hudson’s death, but said there is not believed to be any threat to the public at this time.

Additional charges are anticipated amid the ongoing investigation, police said.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective Alexander Marvin at 603-863-3232 or [email protected]