Homicides in Maine decreased slightly in 2020
Maine State Police reported 20 cases of murder or manslaughter last year, slightly lower than in recent years, except 2018.
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The statewide number of homicides in Maine decreased slightly in 2020 compared to recent years, with 20 reported cases of murder or manslaughter by year’s end, the Maine State Police said.
Six of those deaths involved domestic violence, including an alleged double murder in Waldo in October, according to an annual report released Friday.
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Overall, crime has steadily been falling across Maine for eight years, though some kinds of violent crime – such as rape – have increased. Reported rapes rose by 15 percent in 2019, the last year for which complete crime statistics are available. Some of that increase may be attributable to victims reporting crimes at a higher rate, law enforcement officials say.
One-quarter of the homicide cases documented in Maine in 2020 occurred in the Twin Cities, authorities said.
Jaquille Coleman, top left, Trai Larue, Abdikadir Nur, bottom left, and Bryan Peabody
Submitted photos
According to an analysis conducted at Maine State Police, four of the state’s 16 murder and manslaughter cases reported over the past 12 months happened in Lewiston and Auburn. In all, 19 homicide victims were reported statewide because some cases with a single defendant involved multiple victims.
Two murder cases were reported in Auburn and two in Lewiston. In one of the Lewiston cases, the crime is believed to have been related to domestic violence, according to Maine State Police spokeswoman Katharine England whose statewide statistics were current as of 12:30 p.m. Thursday.