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‘Full of warmth and generosity’: Family speaks out about daughter who was shot to death in N.H.

“Esmae had an enthusiastic zest for life and an infectious laugh and was a friend to all who knew her.”

The family of Esmae Doucette, a 23-year-old New Hampshire woman who was shot and killed last week, released a statement through the Jackson Police Department Sunday. Jackson Police Department via Facebook

By Abby Patkin

December 5, 2022

The family of Esmae Doucette is speaking out, describing the 23-year-old — who was shot and killed in New Hampshire last week — as “full of warmth and generosity.”

Doucette was shot Wednesday evening at the Dana Place Apartments in Jackson and died two days later, Attorney General John M. Formella’s office said in a release.

Her family released a statement through the Jackson Police Department Sunday, calling the loss “unfathomable.”

“Esmae had an enthusiastic zest for life and an infectious laugh and was a friend to all who knew her,” they wrote.

The family thanked first responders and medical professionals “for their incredible care and empathy during our darkest hours.”

“We thank our community of Jackson and the greater Mount Washington Valley for wrapping us in love and caring for our girl so well,” they wrote.

An autopsy concluded that Doucette’s death was a homicide, according to Formella’s office.

Jackson resident Brandon Mitchell, 22, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder for the killing.

Currently being held without bail, he was scheduled for arraignment in the Carroll County Superior Court Monday, though the court clerk’s office said his arraignment had been waived. It was not immediately clear whether Mitchell had an attorney.