GARDINER — The woman found dead in the truck of a vehicle following a shooting in Gardiner on Thursday has been identified.
The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office identified her Monday afternoon as Maddilyn Burgess, 28, of Sturbridge, Massachusetts.
Her body was found in the trunk of a vehicle driven by Gyrth Rutan, 34, also of Sturbridge, who died by suicide after being stopped by police in Gardiner. The relationship between Burgess and Rutan is not known at this time.
Worcester County District Attorney spokesperson Lindsay Corcoran said in a news release Monday that state and Sturbridge police investigated Rutan’s property Friday on Fairview Park Road where detectives found evidence of a crime.
A Maine state medical examiner determined Burgess died of blunt force injuries.
Police pulled Rutan over on Timberwood Drive in Gardiner after observing him operating erratically on Interstate 295 at 4:45 p.m. Maine Department of Public Safety Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said Rutan got out of his car and shot himself with a shotgun. While investigating that incident, police found Burgess’ body in the trunk.
Corcoran said the investigation is ongoing.
Maine State Police Col. John Cote, right, speaks with officers Thursday evening at an incident involving two deaths on Timberwood Drive in Gardiner. (Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal)
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