By Jen Claise
Staff Writer

Daniel Champney

In a murder that unnerved town residents, Critchett Road resident Daniel Champney, 42, confessed to police that he killed his girlfriend – 52-year-old Sandra Royce, a divorced mother of two sons – in the gravel pits behind his home, according to court documents.

However, the motive is unclear. Documents state that Champney, a construction worker who listed his address as 418 Critchett Road but also told police he lived with Royce in her Manchester apartment, told his nephew he allegedly killed someone during an argument over a boat, but also told investigators he allegedly killed his girlfriend after she threatened his brother.

In a sworn affidavit, State Police Sgt. Robert Eastbrook wrote that Champney admitted to the murder Monday, Nov. 29. Royce’s body was found by police in the woods that night.

Dr. Thomas Andrew, the state’s chief medical examiner, ruled Royce’s death a homicide and determined she was strangled with a quarter-inch ligature – something that ties or binds.

Champney was arraigned Wednesday, Dec. 1, on a second-degree murder charge. A probable cause hearing was scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 9.

Records also show that Champney has a lengthy criminal history, with convictions in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts of criminal threatening, willfull concealment, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled drug.

Court records show Champney is currently on probation in Massachusetts. In 1994, he was charged with beating a man with a crowbar after the man stopped to help Champney when his car broke down. He pleaded guilty to armed assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, motor vehicle theft and carjacking. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by five years of probation.

Timeline
According to court documents, Derek Champney, Daniel’s nephew who lives at 418 Critchett Road, told police Daniel came to the house Monday night and said he had just killed someone during an argument over a boat.

Derek also told police his family owns about 80 acres of land in Candia surrounding the Critchett Road home.

Derek told police he had been four-wheeling with his friends near the house when they saw a red SUV. Shortly after, Daniel approached them and told Derek that he and Royce were going to get a boat from Daniel’s brother, Darrell. Derek said Daniel also threated to kill him and his friends when they were out in the woods.

Derek said he tried to call the police from his cell phone at 7:31 p.m. but had no reception on the phone. By that point, Daniel had left them, he said.

Afterward, the group saw a red SUV in the woods with its headlights on and heard branches breaking. Police said Royce’s body was found in the area where the SUV was spotted, covered in evergreen branches. Natural Light beer cans and cigarette butts were found in the area, police said.

Police said Royce had defensive injuries and minor cuts on one of her arms. She also had bruises on her head and a broken rib. She had no identification on her.

Candia police issued an alert for the 1995 red GMC Jimmy, and stated Champney could possibly be heading to Manchester, where Royce lived, or to another address in Northwood.

At 8:37 p.m., Manchester police found Champney at Royce’s apartment. Police said Champney asked one of the officers if he could have a cigarette, saying it would be his last one for a long time.

When he was searched, police found several of Royce’s credit cards, a set of keys and some money in his pockets. There was a pile of jewelry on the counter in the apartment, as well as a 12-pack of Natural Light beer.

In the GMC Jimmy, which was parked in the rear of the apartment building, police found a knife blade sticking out of the back of the trunk and a beer can on the floor. The vehicle was covered in wet mud.

Champney was also arrested that night on felony charges of possessing prescription medication that was not in the proper containers, as well as two outstanding 2003 Manchester warrants for motor vehicle violations, which are misdemeanors.

He pleaded innocent to the misdemeanor charges, but no plea could be entered for the felonies.

When Manchester Police interviewed Champney Nov. 29 , he told them he had been living with Royce, and that the two had gone to the woods behind the Critchett Road home Nov. 29, where they were drinking and using prescription drugs.

He told police they started to argue when Royce threatened his brother, and then he strangled her. Initially, he said he strangled her with his arm when he was standing behind her, but when police confronted him with the autopsy results, he said it was possible he strangled her with something other than his arm.