Sarah F. George
State’s Attorney
Sally Adams
Chief Deputy
STATE OF VERMONT
OFFICE OF THE CHITTENDEN COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY
JURY FINDS VON SIMMONDS GUILTY OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER
April 18, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
BURLINGTON, VT – On December 4, 2022 around 3:00 am, Mr. Abubakar Sharrif (11/11/1999) was stabbed to death inside Piesanos restaurant on Main Street in downtown Burlington. On December 8, 2022 after an extensive investigation by the Burlington Police Department, Mr. Von Simmonds (5/21/1982) was arrested for Mr. Sharrif’s murder. The following day, Mr. Simmonds was arraigned on the charge of Second-Degree Murder for unlawfully causing the death of Abubakar Sharrif, with a wanton disregard of the likelihood that death or great bodily harm would result. Mr. Sharrif’s killing, the arrest of Mr. Simmonds, and the charges filed by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney’s Office were heavily covered in the media by WCAX, VTDigger, Seven Days, WPTZ, MyChamplainValley.com, and various smaller news outlets.
On Monday April 14, 2025 a jury trial commenced in the Chittenden Superior Court-Criminal Division lasting until Thursday April 17, 2025. After a few hours of deliberation, a jury found Mr. Simmonds guilty of Second-Degree Murder, rejecting his claim of self-defense. Mr. Simmonds faces a sentence of up to life, with a presumptive minimum term of 20 years to serve. Sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.
Not one media outlet that covered Mr. Sharrif’s killing has reported on the trial or verdict. The purpose of this press release is to ensure that the community continues to be informed of the outcome of these cases, particularly those that occurred in 2022, a historically violent year in Burlington.
The State is incredibly thankful to the members of our community who served as jurors and handled their duty as triers of facts with the utmost care, as well as the members of our community who testified at trial, and members of the Burlington Police Department for their 2022 investigation and partnership during every court proceeding over the last two and half years.
Finally, and most importantly, the State sends its deepest condolences to Mr. Sharrif’s family and friends, and the entire Chittenden County community. These needless acts of violence are inexcusable and weigh heavily on all of us.