Lawsuit reveals new details of Exeter woman’s slaying at Timberland

This article was originally published on www.seacoastonline.com.
Alexander LaCasse Portsmouth Herald
Published 11:10 a.m. ET Apr. 14, 2021

CONCORD – The family of the Timberland marketing director who was killed at the
company’s Stratham headquarters last year has filed a federal lawsuit against the company
that employed the security guard charged with her murder.

Michael Cormier, husband of the late Catherine “Cassie” Heppner, filed suit in New
Hampshire District Court against the Swedish global security firm Securitas Security
Services.

The suit claims Securitas negligently hired Robert Pavao, 21, of Berwick, despite alleged “red
flags” about his psychological state. The firm was contracted to provide security guards for
Timberland’s offices.

What do prosecutors say about the day Cassie Heppner died?

Police allege Pavao was on duty Feb. 9, 2020, when he allegedly stabbed Heppner, who went
into work on a Sunday to assemble several products for an upcoming business trip. She was
46 and a mother.

‘She had biggest heart’: Exeter mourns woman killed at Timberland
Pavao has pleaded not guilty to first-degree and second-degree murder charges in
Rockingham Superior Court and is currently behind bars awaiting trial.

According to the first-degree murder indictment, Pavao knowingly caused the death of
Heppner by stabbing her “before, after, and/or while engaged in the commission of, or while
attempting to commit felonious sexual assault.”

What is the case against Securitas Security Services?

The 12-count lawsuit requests a jury trial, and compensation for damages and costs endured
by Heppner’s estate, as well as her lost earning power due to her death.

“Securitas is on notice because they should’ve been doing a heckuva lot more because this
guy was hired with no screening,” said Mark Abramson, one of Cormier’s attorneys, of
Abramson, Brown & Dugan.

According to the lawsuit, the contract between Timberland and Securitas required all
security guards assigned to the post “would be fully trained” and “undergo drug testing”
performed by a certified testing lab.

The suit alleges Securitas did not contact any of the personal references for Pavao when they
hired him in 2019, nor did the company have him take a drug test certified by a lab.
The suit claims Pavao worked 57 unsupervised shifts at Timberland from Oct. 5, 2019,
through Feb. 8, 2020, and he was previously observed by his colleague as being “antisocial”
and demonstrating “significant anxiety.”

Before the murder, while Pavao was supervised by another security guard, the lawsuit states
Pavao asked him if Timberland’s security cameras possessed audio recording capability.
When the security guard reportedly claimed he did not know, Pavao allegedly responded by
saying, “If they see me on the camera, they will see me screaming.”

“The superior guard considered Mr. Pavao’s statement about screaming to mean that Mr.
Pavao had had a breakdown while at work and believed the comment was a serious red flag,
but he did not report it to anyone else,” the suit reads. “The superior guard believed that
Pavao had smoked marijuana at work, and that he used other drugs like mushrooms and
LSD. He did not report these concerns to anyone.”

The suit notes that Securitas’ own handbook states the use of substances on the clock is
grounds for dismissal and that employees should report anything that looks mildly
suspicious. It also states the contract with Timberland states Securitas will screen all security
guards and not assign anyone to Timberland who posed “a significant risk to the health and
safety of others” or who exhibited “violent or physically abusive behavior.”

New details of Cassie Heppner’s murder alleged in lawsuit

The lawsuit also contains new details surrounding Heppner’s murder, allegedly at the hands
of Pavao, who is described in the complaint as having, “endured a brutal childhood and was
abandoned by his birth parents as a young boy.” The suit goes on to claim Pavao “regularly
used drugs during high school and afterwards.”

“(Pavao’s) adolescence was marked by learning disabilities, apparent social delays, a
complicated sexual identity, and intense anger towards his birth mother, with whom he had
no contact,” the lawsuit states.

According to the suit, at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Feb. 9, 2020, Pavao is seen on security
footage using a key issued to him to open a locked door for Heppner.

The lawsuit states Pavao entered the area where Heppner was, and he was not seen again on
the security camera until emerging from the storage room at approximately 3:42 p.m. with
blood visible on his hand.
Pavao allegedly called his mother at approximately 4:13 to say, “he hurt someone at work,”
before calling 911 at approximately 4:25 p.m., according to the lawsuit.
When first responders arrived, Pavao is allegedly again seen on security footage directing
them to a room where he said a person was stabbed, according to the lawsuit.
The suit then states, Pavao was asked if he stabbed the person and allegedly replied, “I don’t
know.”
None of the facts alleged in the lawsuit have been made public in Pavao’s criminal case, and
the affidavit, which summarizes law enforcement’s alleged facts of the case, remains sealed.
Additionally, the lawsuit outlines numerous instances where security guards Securitas hired
committed violent felonies dating back to 2004, most notably in Charlottesville, Virginia
when Securitas guard James Fields Jr. drove a car into a crowd of anti-white supremacist
protesters, killing one in 2017.

The suit also named Cadient as a defendant. The North Carolina company was used by
Securitas to provide an online assessment to help the company screen competent candidates
for security guard positions. Pavao passed the screening with no concerning qualities or red
flags. The company has filed a motion to dismiss Cormier’s lawsuit.

What is response from Securitas about lawsuit and Robert Pavao?

Securitas has yet to respond to the lawsuit in court. A representative of the company did not
respond to an email seeking comment.

In a statement after the murder, the company said “Securitas USA is deeply saddened by the
events that took place in Stratham, N.H. The company is cooperating fully with New
Hampshire law enforcement officials. Because the matter is an ongoing criminal
investigation, the company is not able to comment further.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/crime/2021/04/14/timberland-slaying-stratham-nh-exeter-sec
uritas-cassie-hepner-robert-pavao/7212602002/ 2/4

4/15/2021 Lawsuit reveals new
details of Exeter woman’s slaying at Timberland

New details of Cassie Heppner’s murder alleged in lawsuit
The lawsuit also contains new details surrounding Heppner’s murder, allegedly at the hands of
Pavao, who is described in the complaint as having, “endured a brutal childhood and was abandoned
by his birth parents as a young boy.” The suit goes on to claim Pavao “regularly used drugs during
high school and afterwards.”
“(Pavao’s) adolescence was marked by learning disabilities, apparent social delays, a complicated
sexual identity, and intense anger towards his birth mother, with whom he had no contact,” the
lawsuit states.
According to the suit, at approximately 3:20 p.m. on Feb. 9, 2020, Pavao is seen on security
footage using a key issued to him to open a locked door for Heppner.
The lawsuit states Pavao entered the area where Heppner was, and he was not seen again on the
security camera until emerging from the storage room at approximately 3:42 p.m. with blood visible
on his hand.
Pavao allegedly called his mother at approximately 4:13 to say, “he hurt someone at work,” before
calling 911 at approximately 4:25 p.m., according to the lawsuit.
When first responders arrived, Pavao is allegedly again seen on security footage directing them to
a room where he said a person was stabbed, according to the lawsuit.
The suit then states, Pavao was asked if he stabbed the person and allegedly replied, “I don’t
know.”
None of the facts alleged in the lawsuit have been made public in Pavao’s criminal case, and the
affidavit, which summarizes law enforcement’s alleged facts of the case, remains sealed.
Additionally, the lawsuit outlines numerous instances where security guards Securitas hired
committed violent felonies dating back to 2004, most notably in Charlottesville, Virginia when
Securitas guard James Fields Jr. drove a car into a crowd of anti-white supremacist protesters,
killing one in 2017.
The suit also named Cadient as a defendant. The North Carolina company was used by Securitas to
provide an online assessment to help the company screen competent candidates for security guard
positions. Pavao passed the screening with no concerning qualities or red flags. The company has
filed a motion to dismiss Cormier’s lawsuit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/crime/2021/04/14/timberland-slaying-stratham-nh-exeter-sec
uritas-cassie-hepner-robert-pavao/7212602002/ 3/4

4/15/2021 Lawsuit reveals new
details of Exeter woman’s slaying at Timberland
https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/crime/2021/04/14/timberland-slaying-stratham-nh-exeter-sec
uritas-cassie-hepner-robert-pavao/7212602002/ 4/4
What is response from Securitas about lawsuit and Robert Pavao?
Securitas has yet to respond to the lawsuit in court. A representative of the company did not
respond to an email seeking comment.
In a statement after the murder, the company said “Securitas USA is deeply saddened by the events
that took place in Stratham, N.H. The company is cooperating fully with New Hampshire law
enforcement officials. Because the matter is an ongoing criminal
investigation, the company is not able to comment further.”