AUBURN – Police fished a stainless steel handgun from the Little Androscoggin River on Friday morning during a search for evidence in a double homicide case.
The gun is not connected with the case of two men found dead in October near railroad tracks in Lewiston, State Police Lt. Brian McDonough said.
Later in the day, two suspects appeared in 8th District Court where they were charged with two counts of murder. (see related story)
McDonough said police didn’t know yet whether the gun may be tied to a different criminal case.
He declined to say whether the search turned up any of the items police had hoped to find.
The gun appeared to be a rusty .32 caliber, Trooper Michael Chavez said. He said he could not find a serial number and the trigger was missing.
Police photographed the gun, then dropped it in a Ziploc bag filled with river water. It was taken to the Maine State Crime Lab for testing, McDonough said.
Police cut a triangular hole in the ice near the riverbank along Broad Street roughly a mile from New Auburn. Two officers stood at the edge of the hole while the diver combed the river bottom for evidence.
One of the troopers let out rope that was tied to the diver while the other one communicated with the diver through a wired headset.
The diver also pulled from the river a pair of pants tied at the waist and legs. It contained, among other things, a pair of jumper cables, police said. He also found several telephones.
After divers abandoned their search at that site, police walked up the road about 50 yards for another possible dive. They packed up and left without looking further.
McDonough said police have no immediate plans to resume the river search.
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