DOVER-FOXCROFT — The man who spurred the longest manhunt in modern state history surrendered peacefully about noon Tuesday at the Piscataquis County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.
The manhunt for Robert Burton, who is wanted for murder in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend in Parkman in early June, entered its 68th day Tuesday.
Burton walked into the jail and told personnel: “I’m Robert Burton. I’m here to turn myself in,” the sheriff’s office said about 12:30 p.m.
Search dogs and a bloodhound have been used in the search for Burton, 38, who is also known as Robert G. Elliot, according to a previously published report. He is facing a murder charge in connection with the homicide of Stephanie Ginn Gebo, a single mother of two, whose body was discovered in her Parkman home June 5. Piscataquis County Sheriff John Goggin said she was shot to death after Burton broke into her home while her children slept upstairs.
The manhunt, which has been concentrated in southern Piscataquis County where Burton grew up, has involved hundreds of law enforcement personnel from several agencies in Maine and from out of state.
A group of 15 agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who came to Maine June 20 to assist state police, have returned home, but “FBI Agents that are assigned to the Bangor Office are still assisting and continue to offer up advice of lessons learned in the most recent manhunts in New York and Pennsylvania,” Maine State Police Lt. Mark Brooks said in a Sunday email. “In addition, the FBI continues to assist with assets and tools used in those manhunts.”
Ginn Gebo had ended her relationship with Burton a week before her death, and died the day after his probation for previous domestic violence crimes expired. Burton has a lengthy criminal record that includes more than 10 years in prison for domestic violence crimes in 2002, that ended with a 12-day manhunt. Staying in secluded camps that he broke into, Burton managed to elude police until he was captured at an abandoned camp in Willimantic.
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