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Brattleboro shelter resident pleads guilty in 2023 killing

Zaaina Mahvish-Jammeh, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during a hearing at Windham Superior Court, Criminal Division, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026.

By Brattleboro ReformerPublished Oct 20, 2026, 4:58 PMUpdated Oct 21, 20263 min read

A law enforcement officer escorts a handcuffed woman in a light-colored sweatshirt.

Zaaina Mahvish-Jammeh, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during a hearing at Windham Superior Court, Criminal Division, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Mahvish-Jammeh admitted to killing Leah Rosin-Pritchard, a shelter coordinator with Groundworks Collaborative, on April 3, 2023. Photo by Kristopher Radder/Brattleboro Reformer

" data-large-file="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Zaaina-Mahvish-Jammeh-1200x840.webp" /> Zaaina Mahvish-Jammeh, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during a hearing at Windham Superior Court, Criminal Division, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Mahvish-Jammeh admitted to killing Leah Rosin-Pritchard, a shelter coordinator with Groundworks Collaborative, on April 3, 2023. Photo by Kristopher Radder/Brattleboro Reformer

This story by Chris Mays was first published in the Brattleboro Reformer on Oct. 20, 2026.

BRATTLEBORO — The shelter resident accused of killing shelter coordinator Leah Rosin-Pritchard on April 3, 2023, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Zaaina Mahvish-Jammeh, 42, made the plea during a hearing Tuesday morning in Windham Superior criminal court. Judge Heather Gray said attorneys are proposing a sentence of 20 years to life, split to serve 10 years with probation for life.

Gray ordered a pre-sentence investigation. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled later, with victim impact statements anticipated.

Mahvish-Jammeh was a resident of Morningside House and asked to meet with Rosin-Pritchard, 37, then proceeded to strike her with an ax that had been hidden under a sheet, according to the plea agreement. Mahvish-Jammeh struck Rosin-Pritchard “all over her face and body, causing life-threatening injuries,” the agreement states.

Judge Heather Gray said attorneys proposed a sentence of 20 years to life, with 10 years to serve and lifetime probation. Photo by Kristopher Radder/Brattleboro Reformer

" data-large-file="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Judge-heather-Gray.webp" src="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Judge-heather-Gray.webp" alt="Judge Heather Gray sitting at the bench in a courtroom with a nameplate in front of her." class="wp-image-657318" srcset="https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Judge-heather-Gray.webp 706w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Judge-heather-Gray-300x184.webp 300w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Judge-heather-Gray-125x76.webp 125w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Judge-heather-Gray-400x245.webp 400w" sizes="(max-width: 706px) 100vw, 706px" />

Attorney James Valente of Costello Valente Group, who is not involved in the criminal case, called the sentence “complicated,” as Mahvish-Jammeh could be “released” on the criminal sentence but held as an involuntary inpatient if it is determined that she poses an immediate risk to the public due to her mental health.

Mahvish-Jammeh has been described by a judge as suffering from mania and psychosis. She was ordered to be hospitalized in 2023 and was deemed mentally unfit to proceed with trial. The following year, she was deemed competent to stand trial. The case was scheduled to go to trial in January.

Rosin-Pritchard’s family is suing Groundworks for wrongful death and intentional negligence in Windham Superior civil court. Groundworks previously paid an approximately $10,000 fine issued by the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration that was reduced by half after certain safety recommendations were instituted.

Rosin-Pritchard’s parents, the plaintiffs Paula Rosin and David Pritchard, represented by Valente, serve as administrators of her estate. A motion by Groundworks to dismiss their claims, arguing that the matter is a workers compensation issue, was denied.

“The court declined to rule on that motion to dismiss before discovery could be conducted to get a better sense of what facts everybody agrees on and what facts everybody disagrees about,” Valente said. “That’s the process that is currently ongoing.”

A new shelter called Hope’s House, constructed at the site of Morningside House on Royal Road, opened earlier this month. With the new shelter, leaders at Groundworks described wanting to increase safety and improve programming.

“What happened at our former shelter was a tragedy, and we don’t diminish its impact,” Groundworks Executive Director Libby Bennett and Groundworks board of directors Chair Peter Elwell said in a statement ahead of the new shelter opening. “We cannot change the past, but we have a responsibility to learn from it. Those lessons are reflected in how we’ve designed and programmed our new shelter, our approach to safety, and how we support our guests and staff. We’re carrying those lessons forward as Groundworks enters this next chapter.”

Read the story on VTDigger here: Brattleboro shelter resident pleads guilty in 2023 killing.

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