BURLINGTON, Vt. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Vermont filed a formal notice Tuesday in federal court that it plans to seek the death penalty for Theodore “Theo” Bland, of Burlington, if he is convicted for killing two out-of-state men in the Northeast Kingdom in 2023.
The notice came as a federal grand jury returned a new eight-count indictment Tuesday against Bland that paves the way for the possible death penalty.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Turner had said in court in October that the U.S. Department of Justice had given the green light to seek the death penalty, and that a new indictment would be sought. The new indictment was needed to cover the requirements that would allow for the death penalty, if Bland is convicted, he said.
Bland, 30, formerly of Stowe, had pleaded not guilty earlier to multiple federal charges, including gunning down the two men at a home in Lowell on Oct. 12, 2023…