Gardner Man Sentenced To Life In Prison In 2017 Murder Of Another Man

GARDNER, MA — A Gardner man was sentenced to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2017 murder of another Gardner man, according to the Worcester County District Attorney.

Matthew J. Vanier, 40, was found guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery on Nov. 13, connected to the death of 56-year-old Randy S. Vaillancourt, according to the DA. He was also sentenced to 20 to 25 years for the armed robbery conviction, to run at the same time as the murder sentence.

Gardner police found Vaillancourt's body inside his home on Dec. 9, 2017. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide and the cause of death to be blunt-force trauma, the DA said.

Investigators also determined that some of his personal property was missing from the scene, the DA said. Vanier was initially charged two weeks later and has been in custody since his arraignment.

“Our hope is that the family and loved ones of Mr. Vaillancourt can find some closure in this outcome,” said DA Joseph D. Early, Jr.

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