← Back to United States casesEmilie Charz and Jung Ilim Ferlazo Allegedly Murdered by Joseph Ferlazo, Bolton, Vermont, United States
Case Summary
Emilie Charz, 21, married Joseph Ferlazo, 41, in October 2020 after meeting earlier that year. During an October 2021 anniversary trip to Bolton, Vermont, Joseph returned to New Hampshire without Emilie and said she had left after an argument. Emilie's mother reported her missing and described prior domestic-violence incidents. Police located the couple's camper van in Saint-Alban, where Joseph was later reportedly connected by Spencer Lemons to an admission that he had killed Emilie. Joseph subsequently confessed, according to the source, and described shooting Emilie, concealing her body, moving the camper, and dismembering her. The investigation reported 18 stab wounds, a blood-stained knife, phone-location corroboration, and post-death communications that appeared to conceal the crime. Joseph admitted the killing but claimed self-defense. The source reports a December 2022 trial, a January 2023 civil damages order, and a December 2024 first-degree murder charge. Police have also investigated whether he could be connected to the unsolved 2009 killing of his stepmother, Jung Ilim Ferlazo, but the source states that no information establishes that link.
Basic Information
Country: United States
State/Province: Vermont, United States
City/Region: Bolton
Incident Type: Domestic Violence Homicide
Relationship Status: Married
Relationship Duration: Approximately 1 year (marriage)
Incident Date: Oct. 16, 2021
Relationship Journey
Relationship Origins:
- Met at Workplace
- Friends circle
Relationship Stages:
- Dating
- Married Living Together
- Love Marriage
- Police report filed
Analysis
Contributing Factors:
- Domestic Violence Allegation
- Drugs / Alchohol Use
- Domestic Conflict
Red Flags:
- Deception after incident
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Suspects identified
- Missing Victim
- Firearm Access / Concerning Weapon Behavior
- High-Conflict Household
Motives:
- Eliminate spouse
Relationship Outcomes:
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide during marriage
- Arrest made
- Investigation still ongoing
- Deadbody recovery
Source Video
Video hosted by YouTube · Viewer discretion advised
People Link Graph
Emilie Charz and Jung Ilim Ferlazo Allegedly Murdered by Joseph Ferlazo, Bolton, Vermont, United States
Relationship Journey Graph
Origin
- Met at Workplace
- Friends circle
How the relationship or connection began.
Status
- Married
Approximately 1 year (marriage)
Stages
- Dating
- Married Living Together
- Love Marriage
- Police report filed
Important relationship phases recorded for this case.
Warning Signals
- Deception after incident
- Escalation Pattern / Violence
- Suspects identified
- Missing Victim
- Firearm Access / Concerning Weapon Behavior
- High-Conflict Household
Reported red flags or early concern points.
Pressure Points
- Domestic Violence Allegation
- Drugs / Alchohol Use
- Domestic Conflict
- Eliminate spouse
Contributing factors and possible motives from the available sources.
Incident
2021-10-16
Outcome
- Legal case ongoing
- Homicide during marriage
- Arrest made
- Investigation still ongoing
- Deadbody recovery
Recorded relationship or case outcome.
Sources
English labels are shown first. Original-language titles are preserved for source verification.
Emilie Charz and Jung Ilim Ferlazo Allegedly Murdered by Joseph Ferlazo, Bolton, Vermont, United States
Charly Frigoul - France · Original language: French
View original title
Murder of Emilie by Joseph in Vermont
AI Intelligence Assessment
Relationship Pattern
Domestic Violence
Pattern Analysis
The source describes a rapidly formed marriage followed by alleged repeated domestic violence, escalating conflict, and a fatal incident during an anniversary trip. Emilie's mother reportedly observed scratches and bruises and described three or four prior domestic-violence incidents. Joseph disputed the relationship narrative by claiming self-defense and describing the couple as polyamorous, but the source reports that investigators found no injuries on him at arrest and developed physical, phone, and testimonial evidence against his account.
Investigative Notes
Emilie's mother reported her missing after Joseph returned without her. Police located the camper van in Saint-Alban but initially lacked a search warrant. Spencer Lemons then reportedly contacted police after Joseph acknowledged that Emilie was dead and answered yes when asked whether he had killed her. Joseph was located at a nearby gas station and reportedly confessed. Investigators reportedly recovered garbage bags and a knife with reddish-brown stains, while the autopsy reported 18 stab wounds to Emilie's upper body. Cell-phone records reportedly matched movements Joseph described, and messages and calls over three days were interpreted by the source as an effort to conceal the crime. The source reports a December 2022 trial, a January 16, 2023 order for more than $1.5 million in damages to Emilie's mother, and a December 2024 first-degree murder charge and wrongful-death civil claim. The source also reports a possible investigation into the unsolved 2009 killing of Jung Ilim Ferlazo, but does not establish Joseph's involvement.
Investigation Confusion
Joseph initially reportedly said Emilie left after an argument and would return on her own. He later reportedly confessed while claiming self-defense, alleged that Emilie had attacked and threatened him, and described the relationship as polyamorous. The source also reports a discrepancy between his account of shooting Emilie and the autopsy report of 18 stab wounds. The possible connection to Jung Ilim Ferlazo's 2009 killing remains speculative and unresolved.
Case Reconstruction / Puzzle Pieces
The reported reconstruction begins with a married couple traveling from Northfield, New Hampshire, to Bolton, Vermont, on October 15, 2021. After a reported argument, Joseph later said Emilie left the camper on October 16, but he returned without her on October 18 and did not immediately report her missing. Her mother disclosed prior alleged domestic violence, prompting police attention to Vermont and the camper van in Saint-Alban. Spencer Lemons's reported account and Joseph's subsequent confession connected Joseph to the death, while the camper-van findings, autopsy, knife evidence, and phone records supplied additional investigative support. Joseph's self-defense explanation remained disputed, and the source reports later legal proceedings without presenting a final criminal conviction.
Risk Assessment
The reported pattern included prior physical violence, high-conflict arguments, alcohol use as described by Joseph, access to a handgun, concealment behavior, and an unexplained delay in reporting Emilie's disappearance. These factors indicate a high reported risk of lethal escalation, but the source does not provide a complete history of threats, protective orders, or formal risk assessments.
Key Takeaways
The source highlights the importance of prior injury reports, family disclosures, unexplained delays in reporting a missing spouse, movement of a residence vehicle, third-party disclosures, forensic examination, and phone-location records. It also shows how an alleged self-defense narrative can conflict with the reported absence of injuries on the accused and with forensic findings. The possible Pennsylvania connection should be treated only as an unresolved investigative lead.
AI Case Q&A
What early signals mattered most?
The most important reported early signals were three or four prior domestic-violence incidents, Emilie's scratches and bruises, repeated conflict, access to a handgun, Joseph's lack of apparent concern after her disappearance, and his delay in returning and alerting her family.
Which clues helped connect the case?
The reported clues included Joseph returning without Emilie, the camper van being located in Saint-Alban, Spencer Lemons's account of Joseph's alleged admission, Joseph's subsequent reported confession, garbage bags in the camper, the autopsy findings, a knife with reddish-brown stains, and phone records matching reported movements.
Which evidence types appeared strongest?
The strongest reported evidence types were the autopsy, physical evidence recovered from the camper van, the knife with reddish-brown stains, Joseph's statements and reported confession, Spencer Lemons's account, cell-phone movement records, and the absence of reported injuries on Joseph at arrest. The source does not provide laboratory details or a final criminal verdict.
Witness / Eyewitness Statements
Emilie's mother reportedly told police about prior domestic violence and observed scratches and bruises that Emilie attributed to a physical altercation with Joseph. Spencer Lemons reportedly told police that Joseph acknowledged killing Emilie. Joseph's sister and her boyfriend were reportedly with the couple before the alleged killing and later went to breakfast with Joseph, but the source does not provide their statements.
How did follow-up reports change the understanding?
The understanding changed from a reported missing-person explanation in which Emilie allegedly walked away to a homicide investigation after Spencer Lemons reported Joseph's alleged admission. Subsequent confession details, forensic findings, phone records, civil proceedings, and later first-degree murder charges further developed the case. The reported possible Pennsylvania connection remained unconfirmed.
What remained unclear?
The source leaves unresolved the precise sequence and cause of the 18 stab wounds relative to the reported shooting, the complete circumstances of the fatal confrontation, whether Joseph's self-defense claim had any factual basis, the final criminal-court outcome, and whether Joseph had any connection to Jung Ilim Ferlazo's 2009 killing.