A 20-year-old security guard, Robert Pavao, was charged with second-degree murder on Monday for the stabbing death of a 46-year-old woman at the headquarters of Timberland, in Stratham, New Hampshire. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, with multiple law enforcement agencies, including a local SWAT team, responding to an emergency call around 4 P.M. EST.
The identity of the victim has not been released, though a statement from the director of global PR and communications for Timberland, Leslie Grundy, confirms that she was an employee of the company. Pavao worked for Securitas as a guard at Timberland and Lindt—both located in a shared industrial park—and did not know the woman, according to court records. The woman’s body was discovered inside the Timberland building, though officials have not yet disclosed the specific location.
“It is with extreme sadness that we share news of the loss of a beloved member of the Timberland community. The incident took place on Sunday, February 9 at our Stratham, New Hampshire headquarters. Police are actively investigating and have a suspect in custody; we are cooperating fully with authorities. We extend our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones as they process this senseless tragedy,” Grundy wrote.
Pavao appeared in court Monday on charges of “one count of second-degree murder for knowingly causing the death of an adult female by assaulting her, and one count of second-degree murder for recklessly causing the death of an adult female under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life by assaulting her,” according to a statement from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.
Pavao has waived arraignment and pleaded not guilty. He is currently being held without bail at the Rockingham County Jail.