By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – A report on the murder of 25-year-old Berlin resident Marisol Fuentes Huaracha by her estranged husband, who was out on $5,000 bail for rape and theft and subject to a restraining order and who then killed himself, was issued Tuesday by Attorney General John M. Formella.
The NH DOJ Homicide Unit’s report detailed how Fuentes Huaracha’s husband, Michael Gleason Jr., was exerting greater and greater control over her, including taking her over the border to Canada right after the wedding in November 2024 before he shot her and himself to death on July 6 inside the restaurant where she worked in Berlin.
The report answered many of the lingering question about what happened that day. Berlin PD’s internal investigation remains ongoing, and the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee will be reviewing it separately.
The report said Fuentes Huaracha was a legal immigrant from Mexico and worked at the La Casita Restaurant in Berlin that was partly owned by her brother and that she worried about her legal status with the new U.S. administration.
Gleason met her at the restaurant, and they dated for only a matter of months before Fuentes Huaracha agreed to marry him, and the two were wed in Vermont in November 2024. “Several witnesses questioned whether Fuentes was persuaded to agree to the wedding over immigration concerns following the national election, however, other witnesses said that Fuentes was seeking an older, traditional-style marital partner with a clear division of roles and responsibilities by gender,” the report said.
“Multiple witnesses interviewed by investigators described Gleason as controlling and manipulative. Driving back from Vermont after the wedding, the couple drove into Canada and Fuentes was detained for several days when they went to reenter the country.
“Gleason’s critics found it implausible that he could have done this accidentally as he claimed and believed it was deliberate to manipulate Fuentes into being more dependent on him. Around three months later, near Valentine’s Day, Gleason expressed how he was jealous of how other people at the restaurant/bar interacted with his wife, and he believed they were flirting with her. Restaurant regulars said he sent dozens of roses to the establishment one evening and engaged in what they explained was an exaggerated display of adoration in front of patrons, embarrassing Fuentes in the process,” the report said.
The report also detailed Gleason’s arrest and bail conditions.
After she detailed the rape and assault to Berlin police then on April 26, 2025, Berlin PD submitted applications for an arrest warrant into the portal, and Superior Court Judge Will Delker then issued felony arrest warrants for Kidnapping – Domestic Violence, Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault – Domestic Violence, and Theft By Unauthorized Taking, the report said.
“The affidavit supporting the arrest warrant informed the Court that the Emergency Restraining Order against Gleason had been granted by Judge Greenhalgh. Gleason was arrested at 11:39 A.M. after a brief flight out of the back of his house before officers caught him. He was processed at the Berlin PD, and then brought to the Coös County House of Corrections to await a hearing on bail determination.
“As part of the emergency protection order obtained by Fuentes, Gleason was required to
relinquish all firearms and ammunition. Police seized these from the home at the same time as
Gleason’s arrest on Saturday, April 26, 2025. During the search of Gleason’s home, 24 firearms were
taken into custody (13 rifles, 7 pistols, 4 shotguns), as well as an air rifle, collapsible baton, crossbow, 3 bows, arrows, a sword, multiple firearm magazines, and ammunition boxes. See Exhibit 1 – Berlin PD Inventory report.
“On Sunday, April 27, 2025, a telephonic bail hearing was held before a bail magistrate (Johnson,M.). The police prosecutor argued that the severity of the offenses charged, the length of time Fuentes was assaulted, and Gleason’s initial flight from officers announcing they had an arrest warrant weighed heavily in favor of preventative detention. The magistrate denied the police prosecutor’s request for preventative detention, and instead set bail in an amount of $5,000 cash with conditions upon release.
“The magistrate also ordered that Gleason be allowed to utilize a civil standby through the Berlin PD to retrieve personal belongings and landscaping equipment from the marital home, and to relinquish any and all firearms as a condition of his bail. Gleason stayed incarcerated the rest of that day.
“The next day, Monday, April 28, 2025, Gleason was arraigned in 1st Circuit Court – District Division. Again, the police prosecutor asked the Court to order Gleason held on preventative detention. The Court (Subers, J.) denied the request and reaffirmed the earlier bail order; only modifying it by requiring that the source of any bail funds produced be shown to not include $5,000 of the cash that Gleason was alleged to have stolen from Fuentes. A probable cause hearing was set for May 21, 2025.
The police prosecutor did not seek to appeal the denial of the request for preventative detention,” the report said.
The report said Gleason obtained the firearm used in the murder on July 5. It was an Antique 1960’s Sears Pump Shotgun.
“Gleason called a relative, Douglas Cameron. Gleason told Cameron that he was staying in Pittsburg, and had been invited to go skeet shooting the following day. He asked to borrow a shotgun from Cameron so he would not need to drive back to Berlin to retrieve his own shotgun for the skeet shoot.
“Cameron told investigators that he had not spoken to Gleason for quite some time, and was unaware Gleason had been arrested, was currently on release, had bail conditions and protective orders preventing him from possessing a firearm, or that he was separated from his wife. Cameron agreed to loan him a shotgun for the following day.
“Early on the morning of Saturday, July 5, 2025, Gleason met Cameron in Colebrook and Cameron loaned Gleason one of his shotguns. The shotgun itself was an antique that had been given to Cameron as a gift: a 1960’s Sears pump-action shotgun. The gun was unaltered with its original-length barrel. Cameron told investigators he loaned this particular shotgun to Gleason as he thought it would have been the better shotgun for skeet shooting. Gleason told Cameron they may do target shooting after shooting skeet, and asked for several rounds of both bird shot and slugs for the shoot. Cameron gave Gleason the shotgun and a box with five rounds of birdshot and five rounds of buckshot/slugs,” the report said.
The report calls for changes to the domestic violence system in the courts, including expansion of the lethality assessment program, enhanced electronic monitoring of those on bail for such cases, more training for prosecutors and law enforcement on domestic violence, the development of best practices surrounding bail and more information sharing.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte and some executive councilors called for a comprehensive investigation after the July 6 murder/suicide which shocked the state as officials looked to see how they could prevent a future incident.
“Marisol Fuentes’ life was taken from her in a senseless and tragic act of violence. This report was developed to examine the facts surrounding her murder, the history of the case, and the responses of various agencies, with the goal of learning from this tragedy and making necessary changes,” said Attorney General Formella. “We remain committed to continuing our work with our partners across the justice system to strengthen protections for victims and prevent similar tragedies in the future.”
Republican Executive Councilor Janet Stevens of Rye said there are systemic failures in domestic violence protections for people in the state that are highlighted by the NH DOJ review.
“Marisol Fuentes’ experience demonstrates a systemic failure: victims at high-risk were left to rely on coworkers and the kindness of strangers for their own safety, despite protective orders and credible threats. This cannot continue,” Stevens said.
She said for nearly 40 years, New Hampshire has failed to implement a statutory requirement for a Statistical Analysis Center. “Without accurate data, we cannot identify trends, prevent violence, or improve our criminal justice system,” she said.
Law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and victim advocates must close coordination gaps so that protocols like the Lethality Assessment Protocol, bail review – are not just paperwork, but real-life protections for victims, she said.
She said training alone in not enough.
“Every missed opportunity to protect a victim of domestic violence is one too many,” Stevens said.
Two days before the murder/suicide, the Berlin Police Department were informed that Marisol Fuentes’s killer made comments to a friend that “he (Gleason) should just kill himself and maybe take her (Fuentes) out too,” Stevens said.
“Dispatch logs show that an officer only contacted Gleason by phone, and Gleason denied ever making such comments. This represents the entirety of the action taken by the Berlin Police Department. They did not follow up with the person who reported these comments. They did not inform Fuentes of Gleason’s comments where he pondered killing her. Despite being explicitly informed that Gleason had made suicidal and homicidal statements and knowing that he was the subject of active protective orders, Berlin Police failed to take any substantive action,” Stevens said.
The Berlin Police are conducting their own internal investigation into the case and have not yet released the report.
The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence released a statement:
“Marisol did everything society asks of survivors – she reported the assault, sought help, and obtained a protective order. Yet despite her courage, the system was unable to keep her safe. Her story is a heartbreaking reminder that our collective response must do more to prioritize survivor safety and offender accountability at every stage of the criminal legal process.
“The Coalition will be working with the legislature during the 2026 Legislative Session to mandate the use of lethality assessments by law enforcement and to establish ways for the courts to reduce the risk of homicides in domestic violence cases,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
“Only when police, prosecutors and the courts have full information about an offender’s history and access to evidenced-based lethality assessment tools, can they make informed decisions that best prioritize the safety of victims and the public,” she said. “The Coalition will continue working closely with survivors, surviving family members and state partners including the legislature to ensure that lasting change is made. Every survivor in New Hampshire deserves to be believed, supported, and protected when they reach out for help.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or sexual violence, confidential and free help is available 24/7 through the statewide crisis line at 1-866-644-3574.