76-year-old beaten to death with hammer by grandson, New Hampshire officials say
A man accused of beating his 76-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer has been arrested and charged, New Hampshire officials say.
Joshua Lanchester, 23, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of his grandmother, Cynthia Lanchester, the New Hampshire Department of Justice said in a Sept. 28 news release.
After getting a 911 call, state police troopers responded to the Easton home shortly before noon Saturday, Sept. 28, the agency said.
They found Cynthia Lanchester dead on the floor, according to officials.
Troopers also found her grandson, Joshua Lanchester, at the home, and he was arrested later that evening, officials said.
The medical examiner performed an autopsy on Cynthia Lanchester, which showed she died from blunt force trauma to the head, and ruled her death a homicide, the agency said in a Sept. 29 news release.
The incident is under investigation, officials said.
“It is sad. She’s a nice lady,” a neighbor, Robert Andersen, told WMUR-TV. “She’s kinda very quiet and keep to themselves.”
Joshua Lanchester is being held without bail and expected to appear in court on Monday, Sept. 30, officials said.
Easton is about a 100-mile drive northeast from Manchester.
This story was originally published September 30, 2024 at 10:20 AM with the headline "76-year-old beaten to death with hammer by grandson, New Hampshire officials say."
