READFIELD — A Belfast man was charged Thursday with murder in the death of his wife, who was found dead outside of a Readfield home by police Wednesday morning.
Samuel Whittemore, 34, initially fled the scene but was taken into custody a short distance away. He was charged with murder Thursday after an autopsy determined that the death of Margaux Whittemore, 32, was a homicide. Her cause of death was not released by police.
The two were visiting Samuel Whittemore’s parents’ home when the incident occurred Wednesday morning, Shannon Moss, the public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in a news release. Maine State Police and Winthrop Police responded to the scene at about 10:02 a.m. after a 911 call alerted them to an incident on Giles Road.
The suspect’s mother, Dorothy “Darcy” Whittemore — who co-owns the home with her husband Henry, according to property tax records — was found injured inside the home by responding officers and was taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston where she was initially in critical condition. Moss said her condition has since been upgraded.
Henry Whittemore, the suspect’s father, was not inside the home at the time of the incident, Moss said, but arrived shortly thereafter.
Samuel Whittemore was first taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta for evaluation Wednesday before being moved to the Kennebec County Jail and charged with murder. Moss did not say Thursday whether he was charged with any crimes related to the injuries suffered by his mother.
Police maintained a heavy presence on Giles Road for much of Wednesday. At 1 p.m., nearly a dozen state police cruisers, a Winthrop police cruiser and a Winthrop Rescue pickup lined the short residential road, and a State Police Evidence Response team van was stationed in the driveway of the white house on the lot.
Moss said detectives and evidence response technicians with Major Crimes Unit Central were expected to continue to investigate the incident at the home Wednesday.
Samuel Whittemore was expected to make his first court appearance Friday at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta.
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