I just found out about this a few hours ago because I was away on a trip.
Peter's hangar is 10' behind mine at KMVL.
Peter wrote me an email earlier in the week saying he had about 5 hours on the newly overhauled (by Barrett) engine and was headed for NC end of the week.

reports of the content of the distress call are conflicting between oil pressure and fuel pressure.  
reports of origination in JFK don't match the flight aware track.  I think he left from KMVL and it looks like he went nonstop.
The flight aware track lasts three hours and 15 minutes but does not include some of the climb nor any of the descent.   I believe N23PH carries 60 gallons of fuel and has an IO-550 engine.
The picture on the second link shows  the plane all in one place but the right wing and the tail broke off, which seems to indicate a high vertical rate in a nearly level attitude.   ....and not much movement across the ground after impact.

Peter was involved in a Kitfox crash at KMVL in 2009.  That one was a problem with the ROTAX engine which was never diagnosed.

http://www.enctoday.com/news/plane-73568-kfpress-hebert-vermont.html

http://www.jdnews.com/news/emergency-90876-plane-county.html

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N23PH

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=122124

http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2011/may/06/wnct-2-believed-dead-onslow-co-plane-crash-ar-1010928/