Husband Dismembers Wife on Anniversary Trip

In October 2021, Emily Jean Schwarz and her husband Joseph Ferlazzo embarked on what should have been a celebratory trip to Vermont's Green Mountains for their first wedding anniversary. Days later, Joseph returned home without Emily, spinning a tale that would unravel into one of the most gruesome crimes Vermont has seen in years.

A Husband's Story Begins to Crack

Joseph, then 41, told Emily's family that an argument had erupted during their trip. He claimed Emily stormed off near Route 2 by the Bolton Valley Resort Access Road and disappeared. Concerned family members reported her missing, and Vermont authorities launched an investigation. From the outset, Emily's loved ones harbored doubts. Prudy Schwarz, Emily's stepmother, told Vermont Fox affiliate WFFF, "Something didn't click the first time we met him," as reported by the New Hampshire Union Leader. "I said it's something with his eyes; he looks evil in his eyes."

Police scoured the area for any sign of the 22-year-old aspiring singer, but nothing turned up. As the search intensified, suspicion fell on Joseph. Four days after Emily's disappearance, police located him at a convenience store in St. Albans, Vermont. The story he told investigators began to shift, and then it shattered entirely.

A Chilling Confession

Confronted with evidence and growing scrutiny, Joseph confessed to a shocking crime. According to Vermont State Police, he said he and Emily did fight, as he originally said — but then he admitted to shooting Emily twice in the head inside their camper. Hours later, he dismembered her body with a hand saw, placing her remains in black trash bags that he stored in the camper's bathroom.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the couple's converted minibus, where they found eight black plastic bags containing Emily's remains. They also recovered the saw Joseph had used, according to court records.

Gruesome Details Emerge in Court

During his trial, Joseph claimed self-defense, telling jurors that Emily had physically attacked him during an argument. He testified that he had no recollection of much of the crime, stating, "I have one flash of memory where I cut into her leg with a knife. It made me sick," as reported by PEOPLE. Prosecutors, however, presented a different narrative: a calculated act of violence followed by meticulous attempts to cover his tracks.

Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George told jurors that Joseph's story didn't align with the evidence. His actions — bringing Emily's body into the camper's shower, dismembering her, and methodically storing her remains — indicated premeditation, not a panicked response to a threat.

Justice for Emily

After five days of testimony and two days of deliberation, the jury found Joseph guilty of first-degree murder. "The verdict couldn't be any better. The only thing that could make it better would be to have my daughter back in my arms and alive," Emily's mother, Adrienne Bass, told NBC 5. "For me it was really just relief and feeling like we got the justice that Emily deserves."

Emily's family continues to grapple with the loss of a young woman they remembered as vibrant and determined. Her obituary, as reported by PEOPLE, described her as a "beautiful, aspiring singer" who dreamed of helping others as a cosmetologist. Emily's stepmother told WFFF, "She was the girl that ran around in polka dot pants and a striped shirt, dancing," as reported by the New Hampshire Union Leader.

A Legacy of Loss

Joseph Ferlazzo will face sentencing in February 2025, bringing legal closure to a case that has devastated Emily's loved ones. Her family has vowed to keep her memory alive, even as they mourn the dreams she'll never realize. For those who knew and loved Emily, justice offers some solace, but the wounds left by her tragic death will never fully heal.

References: Man Convicted of Dismembering Wife During Anniversary Trip, Leaving Remains in Camper Bathroom | Jury finds NH man guilty of murdering wife during anniversary trip to Vermont | Jury finds Joseph Ferlazzo guilty of first degree murder