Lynnfield veterinarian finally laid to rest

LYNNFIELD – Lynnfield veterinarian Joan Baruffaldi was laid to rest Monday, leaving behind a family tormented by unanswered questions about the circumstances of her death in the U.S. Virgin Islands last November.Baruffaldi, 45, who lived at 29 Robin Road and owned and operated the North Reading Veterinary Clinic, purportedly hanged herself in a hotel bathroom only two hours after arriving in the Caribbean. Her husband, Robert Harris, told Westin hotel security on the island of St. John that he heard a thump but could not open the bathroom door.Although hotel security eventually unlocked the door, they did not peer into the room, according to Boston attorney Donald McNamee, who represents the Baruffaldis in ongoing civil court proceedings. Harris said his wife committed suicide by hanging herself with a bathrobe sash from the shower curtain rod.An autopsy performed in the Caribbean classified her death as a suicide but the Baruffaldi family has not received the official report. Two additional autopsies were conducted in the U.S. at the request of the Baruffaldi family and later from Harris. Those results, too, have been unavailable.The situation has stirred animosity between the Harris and Baruffaldi families. Separate graveside services were held Monday morning at Forest Hill Cemetery.Larry Baruffaldi, the deceased woman’s brother, said the family is eagerly anticipating the autopsy results. The Baruffaldis have hired private investigator John Leccese of Orion Investigations in Stoneham to continue asking questions.”We want to know what happened to Joan in the final hours of her life and what happened in that room,” Larry Baruffaldi said. “This whole thing has been just horrible, but as time goes by, we’ll try to get deeper into it. So far, the investigation down there has been a joke. It’s crazy.”Larry Baruffaldi said his sister’s suitcase was returned and rests in a hallway of his parents’ home in Winchester. “My father and brother, Tom, went to St. John after learning that my sister was in critical condition, but by the time they arrived, she had passed away. My father wanted her suitcase and other personal belongings,” he said Monday. “That suitcase must weigh 200 pounds. It’s big and it’s packed with shirts, dresses and bathing suits. It’s the kind of vacation pack job done by a person who is going to go for it, not somebody who was planning on dying two hours after they arrive.”The Baruffaldis have publicly accused Harris of murdering his wife. Harris was bequeathed about $3 million in real estate and other assets.