The New Hampshire Cold Case Unit issued a renewed appeal on Monday evening for information in the case of Louise Chaput, a woman from Sherbrooke, Quebec, found stabbed to death in the White Mountains in November 2001.
Chaput, 52, was last seen on Nov. 15, 2001, around the Joe Dodge Lodge, run by the Appalachian Mountain Club in Pinkham Notch. She was supposed to be staying at the lodge that evening but never checked in.
Chaput, a psychologist, was self-employed. She often hiked by herself and had come to New Hampshire for a short trip to the mountains. Her car entered the U.S. in Norton, Vermont, around 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 15, 2001. In later searches of the vehicle, authorities found a credit card receipt from Pik Quick III, a convenience store in Colebrook, dated 12:50 p.m. that day.
Around 3 p.m., upon her arrival at the Joe Dodge Lodge, Chaput spoke with an employee of the Appalachian Mountain Club. She mentioned that she’d had a long drive and asked for recommendations for short hikes nearby. He suggested the Lost Pond Trail across the street and gave her directions. After she left the building, she was not seen again.
Her family reported her missing on Nov. 19 when she did not return home as planned. A day later, authorities located Chaput’s vehicle, a silver Ford Focus, parked at the Direttissima Trailhead. Some of her belongings, including her car keys, a dark blue Kanuk sleeping bag and a blue backpack with a Canadian insignia, were not in the vehicle and have never been recovered.
On Nov. 22, Chaput’s body was discovered off the Glen Boulder Trail in Pinkham’s Grant, located southeast of Mount Washington. An autopsy confirmed she died of “multiple stab and incised wounds,” according to a report from 2011.
Chaput’s daughter, Constance, shared in a statement that her mother’s death left “an immense void” in the lives of her family.
“I was only 10 years old when she was taken from me,” she said. “She was a devoted mother, a psychologist who cared for vulnerable people, and someone whose love of life was contagious. We still don’t know who committed this irreparable act. If anyone remembers anything — no matter how small — please come forward. It could finally help bring us the truth.”
The Cold Case Unit hopes to hear from people who were hiking in the Pinkham Notch area on Nov. 15, 2001, in addition to anyone who belonged to hiking groups or meetups — both formal and informal — that were active in the vicinity around that time.
As state investigators continue to search for answers, they are also interested in information from anyone who participated in “early online hiking forums or listservs discussing conditions in the White Mountains in late 2001,” according to investigators.
“Even a small recollection may help clarify Ms. Chaput’s movements and interactions that day,” the Cold Case Unit said in a statement.
Cold Case Unit Chief and Senior Assistant Attorney General R. Christopher Knowles said the passage of time has not diminished the unit’s resolve to find answers in Chaput’s death.
“We know someone out there saw something, heard something, or encountered something that can help us understand her final hours,” Knowles said in a statement on Monday. “Even the smallest detail could provide the break that brings justice for Louise and peace for her family.”
Anyone with information is urged to reach out to the New Hampshire Cold Case Unit. Tips can remain anonymous. To contact the unit, email coldcaseunit@dos.nh.gov or call (603) 271-2663.