Trish Haynes’ remains were discovered inside a washer-dryer set that was pulled from Grants Pond off Wild Meadow Road in Grafton in early September, her great-aunt Valorie Haynes Alvarez said in an interview on Thursday.
Family members were informed by the Attorney General’s Office more than six months ago that Haynes was dead, but they were told not to disclose that information to avoid compromising the investigation, Haynes Alvarez, of Franklin, N.H., said.
Since then, the family has been told only limited facts about the case, she said.
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Authorities
last August were seen searching a Grafton property for signs of Haynes, who previously had lived in North Woodstock, N.H., and had been missing for about two months. She was last seen in Grafton and Danbury, N.H., in late June or early July 2018, the Attorney General’s Office said at that time.
The Grafton property searched in late August — 225 Main St. — is owned by Douglas Carpenter, who lives out of state.
In an interview on Thursday, Carpenter said Ashley and Doug Smith Jr. were tenants of the house at the time the property was searched, and he said Haynes lived with them for a period of time last year.
The Smiths no longer rent the house, he said.
Haynes Alvarez said her niece lived with the Smiths from January 2018 until she disappeared because she was trying to escape an abusive relationship. Haynes knew Ashley Smith from high school, she said.
Doug Smith Jr. has an extensive criminal record and is a registered sex offender following a felonious sexual assault conviction in 2009, according to state records. Other convictions include criminal threatening, burglary and assault, those records indicate. He currently lives in Warner, N.H.
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A “rally to demand justice for Trish Haynes” backed by some of her family is slated to take place in Concord from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 6, according to the Facebook page for the event.
Relative of long-missing woman says remains were found in pond last fall