Shannon Holden Sentenced To Prison In Deadly Exeter Hit-And-Run

WAKEFIELD, RI — A Coventry woman accused of striking and killing an Exeter woman who was out walking her dog late at night has been sentenced to seven years in prison, with four to serve.

Shannon Holden, 27, had been charged with failure to stop, death resulting, in the July 3, 2017 death of Sarah Balmforth in Exeter.

Holden appeared in Washington County Superior Court today following four years of legal wrangling. Holden in 2019 had rejected a plea deal that would have given her essentially the same sentence. Holden today pleaded nolo contendere, or no contest, meaning the Holden case will not go to trial.

Police said Balmforth was out walking on rural South Road on a summer night when she was struck by a Jeep Wrangler that kept on going. Her body was discovered the next morning by a passing motorist. Balmforth's dog, who was injured, waited alongside her overnight.

In conducting the investigation, police analyzed debris left in the roadway and procured nearby surveillance video. They tracked down every 1997-2006 Jeep Wrangler registered in Exeter, North Kingstown, and East Greenwich. Several days after the crash, Holden's father spoke with a police detective and said he suspected his daughter may have been the operator. A friend of Holden's agreed to cooperate with police. Police gained authorization to seize Holden's cell phone, executed a warrant at her house, and found a damaged Jeep matching the description in the garage, according to a police affidavit filed with court records.

Balmforth was the daughter of Dr. Maxon G. Balmforth Sr., founder of the North Kingstown Animal Hospital. She was a well-known animal lover and the founder of Wild Flower Farm in Exeter.