1997 Annual Homicides

MAINE’S 19 HOMICIDES IN 1997
Compiled by the Maine Dept. of Public Safety Public Information Office APRIL 21, 1998


1-24  |  Bangor  |  John Malmstrom, 45, shot to death inside his home. His wife Geraldine Malmstrom is indicted for murder in 1999 and acquitted at her 2000 trial. DOMESTIC

2-28  |  Lewiston  |  Bradley Burnell, 38, robbed and beaten to death. Two men charged with murder, Walter Hartford and Ronald Drake.

3-20  |  Presque Isle  |  David Pelkey, 16, stabbed to death outside High School. 16 year old Ricky Gray is charged with manslaughter

4-18  |  Westbrook  |  Jeffrey Young, 33, beaten to death in fight outside bar. Albert Rogers Jr. charged with manslaughter

4-28  |  Lewiston |  Michael Allen, 34, beaten to death in motel room. Brad Chesnel and Leroy Tomah charged with murder.

5-11  |  Scarborough  |  Virginia Jackson, 59, beaten to death after leaving work at a supermarket.
Leslie Lynds and Leah Estes charged with murder .

6-24  |  Portland  |  Three men shot to death (Nicholas Patenaude, Dana Matthews and Kevin Pinette) outside home of Sabato Raia, who was charged with murder and found not guilty

6-30  |  Saco  |  Newborn baby strangled and found in garbage bag. Jody Johnson, 38, child’s mother, charged with murder. DOMESTIC

7-15  |  Lebanon  |  Rita Demers, 58, shot to death by husband, Roland Demers, 67.
Murder-Suicide. DOMESTIC

8-13  |  Portland  |  Viseth Sun, 12, shot to death. Sochean Ung, 17 or 18, charged with manslaughter

8-15  |  Kennebunkport    |    Paul Landre, 18, shot to death at Colony Motel.  Joseph Glasco, 24,
charged with murder

8-15  |  Masardis  |  Joseph Savitch and Louis Alexander’s bodies found in shallow grave. Both were shot to death, probably in 1994.

10-16  |  North Berwick   | Malcolm Hobbs, 79, found dead inside his home. OPEN CASE

12-19  |  Farmingdale  |  Miranda Duplin, 4, beaten to death. Girl’s mother, Maria Austin, charged with murder. DOMESTIC

12-30  |  Fairfield  |  Stephanie Gilliland, 20, stabbed to death. Former boyfriend, Guy Hunnewell III, charged with murder. DOMESTIC

12-15  |  Birch Harbor  |  MacKenzie Coombs, 4 month old girl, shaken to death. 26 year old William Coombs, the girl’s mother’s boyfriend, who was indicted in April, ’98 of manslaughter DOMESTIC