Police probe killings of 2 men in Aroostook County

Maine State Police say the deaths of two men whose bodies were found inside a pickup truck in Aroostook County are the result of a double homicide.

The victims were 51-year-old Roger Ellis and 25-year-old Allen Curtis, both of Castle Hill – a town in Aroostook County between Ashland and Presque Isle, Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Tuesday.

Autopsies to determine cause of death will be conducted Wednesday at the state medical examiner’s office in Augusta.

Ellis and Curtis were found in Ellis’ red, 2007 Chevrolet Silverado truck along Route 227 in Castle Hill just after midnight Monday by state troopers. The truck was towed to the state police crime lab in Augusta for analysis, McCausland said.

State troopers were called to investigate a noise complaint, McCausland said, and they found the pickup truck and a 2006 Suzuki LTZ 400 ATV in the road. The officers believed they were dealing with a motor vehicle collision until they discovered the bodies of the men inside the pickup truck.

The ATV, which McCausland said has a loud exhaust system, was not registered.

There have been no arrests, and police offered no explanation why the victims were together, or how Ellis and Curtis may have known each other.

Local residents who may have heard a loud ATV overnight are being asked to call state police in Houlton, 207-532-5400. Anyone who lives in that area who has a video security system pointed at the road is also being asked to contact state police.

Troopers, detectives and evidence technicians worked throughout the day at the scene. The investigation is expected to continue through the night into Wednesday.

Route 227 between Turner and Waddell roads was closed for most of the day Tuesday, but reopened in the afternoon.