News Release

On Thursday, July 3, 2025, at approximately 1:05 AM, Maine Game Wardens were called to assist the Union Fire Department and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in the search for a missing paddleboarder on Crawford Pond in Union. During the course of the search, an adult female was located deceased. Based on the circumstances surrounding the discovery, Wardens requested the assistance of the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central. Detectives and Evidence Response Technicians have spent the day investigating the death.

The deceased was transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta, where an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death. This is an active and ongoing investigation.

Additional information will be released when it becomes appropriate to do so based on the progress of the investigation.

If you witnessed a woman paddleboarding between 6 PM - 9 PM near 100 Acre Island at Crawford Pond in Union, please contact us at 207.624.7076.

On Thursday, July 3, 2025, at approximately 9:06 AM, the Augusta Regional Communications Center received a 911 call from a woman in Winterport, reporting that her boyfriend had assaulted her. She told dispatchers she was barricaded in a bathroom with her 9-year-old son inside a residence on S Main Street in Winterport. The caller indicated that her boyfriend had access to firearms and was under the influence of drugs.

The woman and her son were able to safely exit the residence. The child was not injured, and the woman sustained minor injuries. Multiple attempts were made to contact the male subject, but those efforts were initially unsuccessful.

After a short period of time, the man exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident. He was identified as 43-year-old Joshua Martin, who resides at the S Main Street address.

Martin was transported to the Waldo County Jail and charged with Domestic Violence Assault, Creating a Police Standoff, and Violating Conditions of Release. Maine State Police were assisted by the Waldo County Sheriff’s Office, the Maine Forest Service, and the Maine Marine Patrol.

The Maine State Police are assisting the Clinton Police Department in a missing person investigation involving 67-year-old William Parent of Clinton.

Mr. Parent was last seen on June 16, 2025, and last heard from on June 20, 2025. Mr. Parent resides on Main Street in Clinton. Mr. Parent is described as a white male, approximately 5’8”, 148 pounds, bald and with blue eyes. Law enforcement is concerned for his safety and well-being.

If you have seen Mr. Parent or have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Clinton Police Department at 207.426.9192 or the Maine State Police at 207.624.7076.

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at approximately 11:00 AM, Troopers from the Southern Field Troop responded to a report of a crash on Route 5 near Wakefield Road in Hollis. Witnesses reported a tan minivan had crashed into a property and then fled the scene. The vehicle, a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan had left the roadway, traveled a significant distance, and struck the chimney of a residence, causing substantial damage. No one was injured.

Troopers followed a debris trail and gathered additional information, ultimately leading them to the vehicle at a residence in the 300 block of Deerwander Road 4.5 miles away. Norton was familiar with the people who lived there.

At approximately 11:30 AM, following a brief investigation, Troopers identified the driver as 43-year-old Gary Norton who is an unhoused individual. Norton was taken into custody without incident and transported to the York County Jail. He was charged with:

• Felony Aggravated Operating After Habitual Offender Revocation (with prior)

• Felony Aggravated Driving to Endanger

• Felony Aggravated Criminal Mischief

• Misdemeanor Leaving the Scene of a Crash

Please contact the York County Jail for a booking photo.

On Sunday, July 14, 2024, at approximately 10:30 PM, the Lewiston Police Department responded to the area of 77 Rideout Avenue for reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, Lewiston police officers discovered 17-year-old Sahal Muridi of Lewiston, deceased on the ground. The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit South was requested, and an investigation was commenced into Muridi’s death. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta determined Muridi’s cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head and neck, and the manner of death was homicide.

Over the past year, investigators from the Major Crimes Unit South, Maine State Police Crime Lab, Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and Lewiston Police Department identified 23-year-old Nasib Aden of Lewiston as being responsible for the death of Muridi. On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Aden was indicted for murder by an Androscoggin County Grand Jury.

On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, around 7:00 AM, Aden was arrested in Fridley, Minnesota, by members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. He was extradited back to Maine on Thursday, June 26, 2025, by members of the Maine Department of Corrections. Aden was arraigned on Friday, June 27, in Androscoggin Superior Court where he pleaded not guilty. Aden is currently being held at the Androscoggin County Jail.

On Saturday, June 28, 2025, at approximately 5:07 PM, Troopers from the Maine State Police Central Field Troop, along with Kennebec County Sheriff’s Deputies, responded to the area of Chandler Road and Point Road in Belgrade for multiple reports of a man armed with a rifle, yelling and firing the weapon multiple times in close proximity to numerous residences. Troopers successfully located and arrested 41-year-old William Bamford of Bath. Bamford has been charged with the following offenses:

• Reckless Conduct with a Dangerous Weapon

• Aggravated Trafficking of Scheduled W Drug

• Theft by Unauthorized Taking

• Discharging a Firearm Near a Dwelling

• Violating Conditions of Release

Bamford was transported to the Kennebec County Jail following his arrest. At this time, no property damage or injuries have been reported. The incident prompted a coordinated response to ensure public safety as it unfolded. Maine State Police were assisted on scene by the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police Tactical Team, Troop G, Troop I, Troop K, and Belgrade Fire and Rescue. If anyone witnessed this incident or have relevant information, please contact Trooper David Wicks of the Central Field Troop at 207-624-7076.

On Friday, June 27, 2025, at approximately 12:15 PM, a tanker truck carrying water was traveling southbound on Interstate 95 when it overturned in the median near mile marker 198 in Old Town. The driver, 58-year-old Robert Pierce of Westbrook, was ejected from the vehicle during the crash.

Troopers arrived quickly and rendered medical aid. Old Town Fire & Rescue transported Pierce to Eastern Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Two lanes of traffic are closed, but vehicles are currently moving through the area using the breakdown lane as crews continue their work. Bouchard’s Towing is on scene, and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is also assisting. The road is expected to be fully reopen within the hour.

The investigation is ongoing, but speed does appear to be a factor in the crash.

On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at approximately 4:34 P.M., Troopers from the Maine State Police Northern Field Troop responded to a request for assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office regarding a serious injury crash on Ridge Road in Robbinston.

Upon arrival, Troopers located a Black Chevrolet Trax in a ditch with substantial damage to the passenger side. The vehicle was being operated by 19-year-old Aleksa Suddy of Eastport. There were five other occupants in the vehicle, including 19-year-old Tamara Sockabasin of Perry and four individuals under the age of 18.

All occupants were transported to the hospital. Three individuals were transported by LifeFlight to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, where two are listed in serious condition and one in critical condition. The remaining occupants sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The crash remains under active investigation.

No further information is available at this time.

The Maine State Police will hold its annual awards ceremony on Friday, June 27, 2025, at 10:00 AM at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Vassalboro. This event recognizes past and present members of the Maine State Police, both sworn and civilian, as well as citizens of Maine who have gone above and beyond what is expected of them. This year’s ceremony will include the presentation of awards such as Trooper of the Year, Legendary Trooper, Leadership Award, Bravery Awards, Wounds Received, Special Award of Commendation, and the Colonel’s Award.

The stories behind these awards reflect the courage, dedication, and professionalism of Maine’s Troopers, staff, and citizens. Among this year’s honorees:

• Several members of the Maine State Police Tactical Team, recognized for their response to a barricaded subject in Portage Lake during which K9 Preacher was killed in the line of duty.

• A Trooper who successfully negotiated the peaceful surrender of a barricaded subject following five hours of crisis negotiations.

• A Trooper who suffered a broken ankle in three places while making a felony arrest during a domestic violence call, injuries that required surgery and a six-month recovery.

• A Trooper and his K9 partner, commended for their work as a team on 47 deployments, locating 67 electronic devices , many of which contained critical evidence linking suspects to online child exploitation, including possession, dissemination, and production of child sexual abuse material.

• A Maine State Police Crime Laboratory firearms and toolmarks examiner, the only professional in this role serving the entire State of Maine, recognized for exceptional expertise and service supporting investigations across the state.

• The inaugural Walker-Deslauriers Memorial Award, presented posthumously to Jason Walker and Michael Deslauriers, who courageously confronted an active shooter on October 25, 2023, and selflessly gave their lives to protect others.

Friday, June 27, 2025, at 10:00 AM
Maine Criminal Justice Academy
15 Oak Grove Road
Vassalboro, Maine

On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Troopers with the Maine State Police, Central Field Troop executed a search warrant at 23 Gardner Drive in Brooks, following an investigation led by Troopers and Deputies from the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department, and an investigator from the Maine Department of Corrections. The search warrant was the result of a months-long investigation during which Troopers identified the residence as a source of supply for fentanyl and crack cocaine in the greater Waldo County area. During the search, law enforcement officers recovered multiple firearms, a significant quantity of cash, approximately 87 grams of fentanyl powder, 5 grams of crack cocaine, and illegally possessed prescription drugs.

The following individuals were arrested and charged:

• Nature Gordon, 21, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged with Aggravated Trafficking of Schedule W Drugs.

• Ian Freeman, 38, of Brooks, was charged with Aggravated Trafficking of Schedule W Drugs and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

• Jamie Freeman, 39, of Brooks, was charged with Aggravated Trafficking of Schedule W Drugs and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

• Joseph Hills, 38, of Brooks, was charged with Unlawful Possession of Schedule W Drugs.

All individuals were transported to the Waldo County Jail. The investigation continues.