Popular Connecticut-based NBC anchor Heidi Voight stunned fans this week when she revealed a "painful secret" regarding her mother’s death that has kept her off the air in recent months.
The February death of Voight’s mother, Claudia M. Voight, "initially was reported to be the result of an apparent medical event and did not appear suspicious," according to Vermont State Police.
However, the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington later "indicated the death was suspicious, and Voight had sustained injuries that were detectable only during autopsy," and autopsy findings confirmed that "Voight’s cause of death was neck compression, and the manner of death was homicide," police said.
Vermont State Police opted to wait to disclose the incident to the public "due to the sensitive nature of the case from the early stages of the investigation," so Heidi Voight was unable to share the truth with viewers until Monday’s disclosure.
DEATH OF NBC CONNECTICUT ANCHOR'S MOTHER BEING INVESTIGATED AS HOMICIDE
"She should still be here. Friends, I want to thank you for the outpouring of kindness since my mother’s death in February, and your many messages of care and concern during my current absence from NBC Connecticut. I know you’ve had questions, and there is something I’ve been wanting to tell you, but up until now, couldn’t," Voight wrote to kick off an Instagram post.
"I have been carrying this painful secret: My mother’s death was not natural, nor peaceful. My mother was murdered, violently, in the place she should have felt safest – her own home in Windham, Vermont," Voight continued. "Claudia Voight was stolen from this world. She was stolen from her family, from her children, and from my precious daughters who now ask me almost every day, ‘Why did Grandma go to Heaven?’"
Vermont State Police believe the "investigation has now progressed to a point where VSP is able to release information without jeopardizing the case."
CNN REPORTER BURGLARIZED A THIRD TIME WHILE COVERING RAMPANT CRIME IN THE BAY AREA
Police believe the killing of Voight was "not random, and there is no identified threat to the community." No one is currently in custody and the investigation remains "active and ongoing and involves members of the Major Crime Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and Victim Services Unit," according to Vermont State Police.
The award-winning Heidi Voight, who was Miss Connecticut 2006 and represented the state in the Miss America Pageant, co-anchors "NBC Connecticut Today," according to the network’s website.
NBC Connecticut did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media
