VSP: Waterbury woman attacked and threatened people with a knife

June 25, 2026  |  Eric Blaisdell  |  The Times Argus

BARRE — A Waterbury woman is accused of attacking and threatening people with a knife.

Samantha Sophia Gray, 32, pleaded not guilty by video Monday in Washington County criminal court in Barre to a felony count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and misdemeanor counts of criminal threatening, unlawful mischief, aggravated disorderly conduct involving fighting and aggravated disorderly conduct involving threat of bodily injury.

If convicted, Gray faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison. She was ordered held without bail, pending a weight-of-the-evidence hearing, and was housed at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington as of Wednesday.

Trooper Mae Murdock, of the Vermont State Police, said in her affidavit a disturbance was reported June 19 on Union Street in Waterbury. Murdock said she was told by dispatch that a man had called to report Gray, his tenant, was smashing out glass windows at the apartment building. She said the man reported the glass hit his friend and caused the friend to bleed.

Murdock said the man also reported Gray had slashed his vehicle’s tires and broken the rear lights.

The trooper said she was familiar with the building based on past involvements and knew Gray lived on the first floor while the landlord lived on the second floor of the building.

She said the landlord reported his friend came over and reported Gray was letting the air out of his vehicle’s tires. Murdock said the landlord gave investigators his friend’s name.

Murdock said she knew there were surveillance cameras installed at the building, but the landlord reported Gray pulled the cables before exiting her apartment so the cameras weren’t working.

The trooper said the landlord forwarded her videos of the incident where he reported Gray threatened to cut his friend’s throat.

She said one video showed Gray holding a knife with a long, curved blade. Murdock said the video showed Gray speaking to the landlord’s friend about a cellphone in his hand. She said the video showed Gray telling him she was going to slash the phone out of his hand and she swung the knife at him.

Murdock said the landlord was heard on the video telling his friend to back up. The trooper said Gray is seen in the video swinging the knife before she uses it to break the plastic on the taillight of the landlord’s vehicle.

Murdock said the second video had the camera pointed to the sky, but Gray was overheard saying “don’t make me break a window” and then the sound of glass breaking was heard. She said a large glass shard was seen falling onto the grass.

Murdock said the landlord later showed her a third video, where Gray is seen holding a knife toward the landlord.

Murdock said she tried to speak with Gray, but Gray incorrectly stated she had already spoken to the investigator and locked her door. She said she then spoke with Gray through a broken window.

She said Gray reported the landlord had tried to break into her apartment.

Murdock said she tried to get Gray to exit the apartment so that Gray could be arrested, but while Gray was describing what happened, the trooper unsuccessfully tried to grab Gray and Gray ran into her apartment, closing the door. She said Gray was eventually convinced to exit the home and was taken into custody.

It’s unclear from court records whether Gray’s report about the attempted burglary into her home was investigated by police. Murdock said Gray had made previous similar reports and, “I know this to be a common report made with no supporting evidence.”

Murdock said she took Gray into custody and transported her to the Berlin barracks.

The trooper said the landlord later sent her two more videos, with one showing Gray stabbing a tire on the landlord’s vehicle and the other showing Gray breaking the windows on her porch with a wooden pole. Murdock said it appeared the landlord’s friend recorded these videos with his cellphone.