Stabbing Victim Worked In Marketing At Timberland: Update

STRATHAM, NH — The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has released the name and cause of death of a woman who was murdered at Timberland Headquarters in Stratham Sunday. Catherine Heppner, 46, of Exeter, was killed Feb. 9 due to "stab wounds" and her death has been ruled a homicide, according to the state's medical examiner, Christine James. According to LinkedIn, Heppner had worked off and on for Timberland since 2003, as a marketing manager, senior manager of North America Marketing, and Director of North America Marketing.

Robert Pavao, 20, of Berwick, Maine, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He was a security guard for Securitas, a company that provided security for Timberland and Lindt, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. Pavao had been employed by the company about four months.

"The investigation into Ms. Heppner’s death remains active and ongoing," said Kate Spiner, the director of communications for the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office.

Leslie Grundy, the director of Public Relations and Communications for Timberland, said the company was "cooperating fully with authorities in their investigation" and asked the public respect the family's privacy.

"This past Sunday, we lost a beloved member of the Timberland community, Cassie Heppner, to a senseless act of violence," she said. "Cassie was truly one-of-a-kind, and her passing leaves a void that will never be filled. We extend our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones."

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