Concord Heights Abuse Of Corpse And Falsifying Evidence Case From May 2024 Inches Forward

CONCORD, NH — The attorney for the former owner of an Airport Road drug den said he should be ready to defend his client in September, more than two years after the body of Anthony Meunier was found buried in the yard of the home after he went missing in February 2023.

Brian Lavallee, the attorney for Todd Edward Spataro, 59, who faces multiple charges, said previously, when they were before Judge John Kissinger, things had gotten “a little twisty, with continued status, due to a change in defense investigators.” The new investigator, however, was up and running, and he and Susan Venus, the prosecutor, had agreed to move forward on a trial date on two felony counts of falsifying evidence and a misdemeanor abuse of corpse charge.

Lavallee said they were ready for trial in January and filed a speedy trial waiver, but there had been delays and issues. One of those issues, previously reported on Patch, included Spataro jumping bail.

Judge Dan St. Hilaire asked Venus how many days she would need to make her case, and she said three. He also asked where Spataro was.

“He’s not here,” Lavallee said.

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Editor’s note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Merrimack County Superior Court and does not indicate a conviction. This link explains how to request the removal of a name from New Hampshire Patch police reports.

Is A Plea Deal Possible?

St. Hilaire asked if there was any possibility of a resolution of the case.

“At this stage,” Lavalee said, “I think it’s on the low end of likely. Although once my investigator completes what she is currently working on, if there is a possibility to come back to Ms. Venus, and re-engage in that discussion, I’ll certainly do it.”

Venus said after the hearing that Spataro remained in jail for bail jumping and fleeing to Connecticut, but he was not needed in court for the status conference.

A final pretrial hearing has been booked for Aug. 31, with jury selection to begin on Sept. 22.

Other Charges, Suspects

Along with the bail jumping felony, Spataro has seven felony acts, prohibited drug charges from February 2023 out of Concord — around the same time Meunier disappeared. He also has a subsequent drug possession charge from September 2024 in Hooksett. Those charges are also scheduled for a status conference on Aug. 31.

Jocelyn Cote, Spataro’s girlfriend at the time, was also charged with a felony accomplice evidence charge and an accomplice abuse of corpse charge. She was also arrested in January on a bail jumping charge and a bench warrant. The status of her cases is unknown at the time of publication.

A third person, Ryan Holton, also faces falsifying physical evidence and abuse of corpse charges. He had a status conference on June 10 and has a plea and sentencing hearing, with a capped plea, scheduled for Aug. 31.

Holton also has 12 counts of burglary, loitering, and theft, as well as other charges, out of Pembroke from January 2025, and theft, burglary, and loitering, among other charges, out of Hooksett from September 2024, all working their way through court. A capped plea is also scheduled for those cases on Aug. 31.

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