Case of Laconia resident accused in mother's strangulation headed to Grand Jury

LACONIA — The city resident accused of strangling his mother to death in April waived a probable cause hearing, scheduled for Wednesday, and his case has been elevated to Belknap Superior Court.

Christopher Garon, 32, of Laconia, is charged with second-degree murder, after allegedly killing his mother, 58-year-old Linda Dionne, on April 14. An autopsy by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, on April 15, found Dionne's manner of death was homicide by strangulation. Garon allegedly recklessly caused Dionne’s death with “extreme indifference to the value of human life,” according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

Laconia Police went to Old Prescott Road at 1:40 p.m., on April 14, and found Dionne dead inside her home. Garon was also there, and taken into custody. The case’s charging documents are sealed, and the Attorney General’s Office has declined to comment further on the active investigation.

This was the second homicide case investigated in Laconia that day, after police found John Anderson, 62, dead in his South Main Street apartment. An autopsy found his manner of death was homicide, and he'd been stabbed in the neck. Investigators have said the murders are not related. Police have asked for the public’s assistance with video evidence, and nobody has been charged in Anderson's death.

Garon was scheduled for a formal reading of his charges on April 15, which was delayed until the following day, and held virtually. Garon refused to appear, and his behavior reportedly made jail staff feel unsafe. Judge Elizabeth Paine entered a “no plea” on Garon’s behalf.

While Garon was originally held in Belknap County Jail, on April 23, he was moved to the State Prison psychiatric unit.

Garon was due back in Laconia District Court for a competency hearing on May 26, but did not appear due to transportation issues, according to Prosecutor Nicholas Chong Yen. Chong Yen is prosecuting the case along with Ryan Olberding of the Attorney General’s Office.

The hearing was rescheduled for June 2, where Garon did appear in person. Defense Attorney Margaret Kettles of NH Public Defenders requested the hearing be sealed, and the courtroom was cleared before Garon entered.

State law, through Rule 51, allows for a competency hearing to be sealed. The rule has five parts, and part “e” says all information provided is for evaluating the sanity or competency of the defendant, and cannot be used for other purposes, unless permitted by the court.

“Documents which contain such information and which are in the court record shall be kept under seal from public view,” the rule states.

A probable cause hearing was scheduled for 1 p.m. on Wednesday, in Laconia District Court, but Attorney General's Office spokesperson Michael Garrity said the court informed his office the defense waived the right to the hearing on Tuesday.

The case was elevated to Belknap Superior Court, which gives the prosecution 90 days to present charges to the Grand Jury for an indictment.

Garon is ordered to remain in jail pending trial, as the court found probable cause his release would be a danger to himself or the public.

If convicted, Garon could face a maximum sentence of life in prison for second-degree murder.