Plymouth Murder Suspect Presumed Drowned Indicted In Case He's Alive

PLYMOUTH, MA — A man accused of murdering a Plymouth woman earlier this month has been indicted.

Tyler Hagmaier stabbed his neighbor, Quincy College professor Vibeke Rasmussen, to death on May 5, police said. An autopsy found Rasmussen was stabbed over 30 times, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz.

Police said Hagmaier then drove to the western Massachusetts town of Gill and threw himself off the French King Bridge into the Connecticut River.

Hagmaier is presumed drowned, though his body has not been recovered. Search efforts have been hampered by high water levels and strong currents, Cruz said.

Cruz announced Hagmaier's murder indictment Friday in case he's still alive. An indictment means a grand jury determined a trial is warranted based on evidence in a case.

Police said they found Hagmaier's DNA on a sweatshirt and cigarette butt inside Rasmussen's apartment on Tide View Path in Plymouth. Her murder was not random, Cruz said, though a motive has not been disclosed.

Hagmaier has a history of mental illness, authorities told CBS Boston.

Neighbors said they heard screams from Rasmussen's apartment the night she died, Cruz said.

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