MOUNT DESERT (AP) – A woman who was a witness in a case involving the bludgeoning death of the a Southwest Harbor woman has died.

Dari Burke, who was 63, died Dec. 17 of lupus. She had been a witness in the case involving the slaying of Jacqueline Evans, also of Southwest Harbor. Evans and Burke were friends.

While Burke’s health was deteriorating due to her disease, Michelle Mills, 37, was hired by Evans in 2005 to take care of her. Mills is accused of using a ceramic gargoyle in January to bludgeon 83-year-old Evans last January, the same day she was fired from her job.

A retired mathematics professor from Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Evans died from her injuries two days later. Mills was indicted by a grand jury and has been in custody since June.

It’s unclear what effect, if any, Burke’s death will have on Mills’ trial. Officials from the state attorney general’s office declined to comment.

According to court documents, Burke had told police that Evans paid Mills $11,000 between Thanksgiving 2005 and the end of that year. Evans and Mills had argued over the phone about additional payments on Jan. 11, 2006, court documents said.

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