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Murder of Michael Briggs

SOLVED2006Manchester, New Hampshire, United States3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On October 16, 2006, Manchester, New Hampshire police officer Michael Briggs was shot while responding, with his partner Officer John Breckenridge, to a domestic disturbance call involving Michael Addison and Antoine Bell-Rodgers. When Briggs ordered Addison to stop, Addison turned and shot him before Briggs could draw his weapon. Officer Briggs died of his injuries. Two other officers returned fire; Addison fled through an alleyway, dropping his handgun and a T-shirt nearby. Bell-Rodgers surrendered at the scene, but Addison fled, triggering a manhunt involving SWAT teams, searches of multiple apartment buildings, and school lockdowns in Manchester.

Manchester detectives learned Addison had fled to his grandfather's apartment in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and passed the information to the Boston Police Department's Anti-Crime Unit, led by Sergeant Gary Eblan, who located and arrested Addison without incident approximately fifteen hours after the shooting. Addison was initially charged by Boston Police as a fugitive from justice, waived extradition, and was returned to New Hampshire, where the Manchester District Court signed a capital murder warrant against him. During a taped police interview, Addison gave several differing accounts before stating he shot at officers approaching him. New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte sought the death penalty, since the killing of a police officer qualified as capital murder under state law.

Court records indicate Addison and Bell-Rodgers were connected to a string of crimes in the days preceding the shooting, including an armed robbery of a restaurant and a robbery at a convenience store. Bell-Rodgers was not charged in the Briggs shooting but was charged with weapons and robbery offenses and was ultimately sentenced to 60½ years in prison; associates Angela Swist and Teresia Shipley were also investigated, with Shipley pleading guilty to helping Addison rob a convenience store.

Addison's capital murder trial began with jury selection in September 2008 in Hillsborough County Superior Court before Judge Kathleen A. McGuire. In opening arguments, Addison admitted to killing Briggs but argued the killing was reckless rather than knowing. On November 13, 2008, the jury unanimously convicted Addison of capital murder. The jury found him eligible for the death penalty but did not find that he had purposely murdered Briggs. On December 18, 2008, the jury sentenced Addison to death, and the judge imposed that sentence along with 63 years for related convictions on December 22, 2008.

The New Hampshire Supreme Court affirmed Addison's conviction and death sentence in decisions issued in 2013 and 2015 following a mandated proportionality review. The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in January 2016, and Addison subsequently pursued habeas corpus relief in Merrimack County Superior Court. In September 2025, the New Hampshire Supreme Court agreed to hear a further petition regarding the death sentence, docketed as 2025-0273, with the ACLU of New Hampshire filing an amicus brief asking the court to vacate the sentence following the legislature's 2019 repeal of the death penalty for future cases. Oral argument on this petition occurred in March 2026, and Addison remains the only person on New Hampshire's death row.

Key facts

Victims
Michael Briggs
Date
2006
Location
Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2006-10-10

    Antoine Bell-Rodgers robs the owner of El Mexicano restaurant in Manchester at gunpoint while Michael Addison robs a customer at knifepoint.

  2. 2006-10-11

    Addison and Bell-Rodgers rob a 7-Eleven convenience store in Hudson; Angela Swist later admits driving the getaway car.

  3. 2006-10-15

    Addison and Bell-Rodgers are involved in a gunfire incident on Edward J. Roy Drive in Manchester.

  4. 2006-10-16

    Officer Michael Briggs is shot by Michael Addison while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Manchester; Addison flees and a manhunt begins.

  5. 2006-10-17

    Michael Briggs dies of his injuries; Addison is arrested in Dorchester, Massachusetts approximately fifteen hours after the shooting.

  6. 2006-10-21

    A memorial service for Michael Briggs is held in Manchester, attended by law enforcement officers from across the state.

  7. 2007-02-23

    Addison is indicted on capital murder charges by a grand jury.

  8. 2007-02-27

    Addison pleads not guilty to capital murder charges.

  9. 2007-03-14

    Judge Kathleen A. McGuire sets jury selection for Addison's capital murder trial for September 2, 2008.

  10. 2008-09-22

    Jury selection begins in Addison's capital murder trial.

  11. 2008-11-13

    The jury unanimously finds Michael Addison guilty of capital murder.

  12. 2008-11-17

    The jury finds Addison eligible for the death penalty but does not find he purposely murdered Briggs.

  13. 2008-12-18

    The jury sentences Addison to death by lethal injection.

  14. 2008-12-22

    The judge formally imposes the death sentence along with 63 years for related convictions.

  15. 2013-11-06

    The New Hampshire Supreme Court affirms Addison's capital murder conviction and finds the death sentence was not imposed under passion, prejudice, or arbitrary factors, pending further proportionality review.

  16. 2015-04-30

    The New Hampshire Supreme Court issues its final decision upholding Addison's death sentence following comparative proportionality review.

  17. 2016-01-11

    The U.S. Supreme Court denies certiorari, declining to hear Addison's direct appeal.

  18. 2019-05-30

    New Hampshire legislature overrides Governor Chris Sununu's veto, abolishing capital punishment for future cases (not retroactive to Addison).

  19. 2025-09-15

    The New Hampshire Supreme Court agrees to hear a further petition regarding Addison's death sentence, docketed as 2025-0273.

  20. 2026-03-26

    Oral argument on the petition takes place before a three-judge panel of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

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People

  • Teresia Shipley

    CONVICTED

    Pleaded guilty to helping Michael Addison rob a convenience store days before the Briggs shooting.

  • Antoine Bell-Rodgers

    CONVICTED

    Convicted on weapons and armed robbery/conspiracy charges related to a crime spree preceding the Briggs shooting; not charged in the shooting itself; sentenced to 60½ years in prison.

  • Michael Briggs

    VICTIM

    Manchester Police Department officer shot on duty on October 16, 2006; died of his injuries on October 17, 2006.

  • Michael K. Addison

    CONVICTED

    Convicted of capital murder on November 13, 2008 for shooting Officer Michael Briggs; sentenced to death on December 18, 2008, with the sentence upheld on appeal through 2015 and under further judicial review as of 2025-2026.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Manchester, New Hampshire, United States

42.9956, -71.4547

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Manchester, New Hampshire police officer Michael Briggs was fatally shot on October 16, 2006, while attempting to stop a suspect during a domestic disturbance call. Michael Addison was convicted of capital murder in 2008 and sentenced to death; his sentence remains under appeal as of 2025-2026.
Where did the murder happen?
Manchester, New Hampshire, United States.
Who was convicted?
Teresia Shipley (Pleaded guilty to helping Michael Addison rob a convenience store days before the Briggs shooting.), Antoine Bell-Rodgers (Convicted on weapons and armed robbery/conspiracy charges related to a crime spree preceding the Briggs shooting; not charged in the shooting itself; sentenced to 60½ years in prison.), and Michael K. Addison (Convicted of capital murder on November 13, 2008 for shooting Officer Michael Briggs; sentenced to death on December 18, 2008, with the sentence upheld on appeal through 2015 and under further judicial review as of 2025-2026.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
More cases in New Hampshire

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Michael BriggsWikipedia · 2026-07-05
  2. OFFICIAL / AGENCYAmici Curiae Brief in Support of Petitioner, State v. Addison (2025-0273)courts.nh.gov · 2026-07-05
  3. PRESSAttorney General Press Release on Prosecution of Michael Addisondoj.nh.gov · 2026-07-05

Record history

First published
JUL 05, 2026
Last verified against sources
JUL 05, 2026