On July 7, 2005, Terry Magnan discovered the lifeless body of one of his employees on his farm in Sheldon, Vt.

It was 33-year-old Kenneth Jerome, who had been shot to death while feeding the calves. According to police, it appeared the shooter was armed with a long-range rifle and shot Jerome from nearly half a mile from where his body was found.

The murder weapon has not been found, and the case remains unsolved.

“He was a good kid,” said Lauri Fisher, a childhood friend. “I miss him every day.”

^{Left: Kenny Jerome was shot to death while feeding calves at Magnan Farm in Sheldon}

Jerome was born and raised in Fairfax, Vt., where he enjoyed snowmobiling and fast cars, especially Ford Mustangs. Fisher said she had known Jerome since they were 11 years old.

“Kenny was just one of our closest friends,” she said. “He was basically going to our family holidays and he was with my folks a lot and so he spent a lot of time with us for many, many years.”

At the time of his death, Jerome had a 7-month-old baby girl with his partner, Jennifer Miller, who was divorced from Dennis Harrness. Miller and Harrness had two children and continued to co-parent together. The relationship caused tension between the families, and Jerome became worried about his family’s safety.

“Kenny had reached out to me a couple of days prior with a distressing incident that someone had tried to run him off the road,” Fisher said.

“While they were doing it they raised their hands at him and made a gun-like formation like they were going to shot at him.”

Fisher, who was a practicing attorney at the time, said one conversation with Jerome concerned her.

“Kenny was not a guy who was scared of anything,” she said. “And when we were young and teenagers, Kenny was the guy who would defend anybody who was getting picked on or if he thought someone was in the wrong he was the one who spoke up and to hear him have fear in his voice, that was unique.”

Magnan declined to be interviewed on camera. But at a 2005 memorial, he said Jerome was more than an employee.

“He was a good friend and part of the family,” Magnan said. “Many times he was with us on special occasions, or events. His smiles and wittiness would always liven up a party.”

The Vermont State Police continue to investigate the case and are asking anyone with information to come forward.