July 11, 2008
Maine State Police
Homicides in Maine continue on a record setting pace. Last week’s death of a 22 year old woman in Hope was the state’s 20th homicide of the year. Jessica Nichols was beaten and stabbed and her body was found in the trunk of a car. State Police arrested 23 year old Steven Pomeroy and charged him with murder. The two deadliest years for homicides in Maine were 1988 and 1989, where 37 and 40 homicides took place respectively. Of this year’s 20 deaths, 14 are attributed to domestic violence.
The next community meeting on domestic violence takes place in Augusta, July 23, at 6 PM at Augusta City Hall. Public Safety Commissioner Anne Jordan and her staff are holding a series of meetings around Maine during the summer and fall to discuss the impact of domestic violence on families. The Augusta meeting is co-sponsored by the Family Violence Project and Augusta Police. A similar meeting took place in Skowhegan this week and in Boothbay Harbor last month.
Funeral services take place Saturday (7/12) for retired State Police Captain William Hancock, who died July 6th at the age of 86. He served the State Police from 1948 to 1970 and later served 19 years as Ogunquit Police Chief. Hancock was named a Legendary Trooper in 2004. His father -- William Hancock Sr. -- was one of the original members of the State Police in 1925.
Highway deaths for the year stand at 81 following the death this week of a bicyclist who was struck by a car in Scarborough. The Bureau of Highway Safety says that is five fewer deaths than on the same date a year ago. June was an exceptionally quiet month for highway deaths with nine people killed. That compares with 18 deaths in May and 22 highway deaths in April. During the first 11 days of July, nine people have lost their lives on Maine roads. In addition to the Scarborough fatality, the other highway deaths took place in Charlotte, Naples, Ripley, Gray, and two people were killed on July 2 in a fiery crash in Blue Hill.
Recent speeders on the Maine Turnpike include two teenage boys who were clocked separately going 90 MPH. One of the teens had received his driver’s license only five days earlier. In both cases, the parents were called to intervene and both boys now have a court date. Another blatant speeder was a Massachusetts man stopped in Wells. His car was clocked at 100 MPH and he was taken to the York County Jail charged with driving to endanger.
A Kentucky woman has caught watching her laptop computer while she was driving on the turnpike during the July 4th weekend. Trooper Tim Marks was at a tollbooth when the driver came through watching an episode of “Gilmore Girls”. Maine law prohibits a driver from watching television, but the statutes are vague on other electronic components. Marks asked the woman to concentrate on her driving. Her excuse – she was tired and watching Rory and Lorelai helped keep her awake!!