Bangor man found guilty in ex-girlfriend’s murder

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) -BANGOR, Maine — A jury found Richard Thorpe guilty after about an hour of deliberation following closing arguments in his murder trial.

The 44-year-old Bangor man was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, 39-year-old Virginia Cookson.

Thorpe is being held without bail and will be sentenced Sept. 1.

Monday morning, the state started with a video of Thorpe days before Cookson’s murder, angry about the breakup. It’s the same video his mother testified was sent to her as well.

The state explained evidence leading up to the murder, including welfare checks on Cookson, her expressing to loved ones her fear of Thorpe, and Thorpe’s DNA evidence on the HDMI cord wrapped around her neck and around the house.

The defense said while evidence may sway the jury, there are still unanswered questions. Defense attorney Jim Howaniec pointed to facts such as the medical examiner not stating her time of death and little to no evidence showing what happened before or after 4:22 a.m. on Sept. 25.

The defense also said the lack of further testing on surfaces and the scene was concerning, questioning if another person was involved.

“How much of Keith’s DNA was on the HDMI cord? Do we know? Was it a single cell? Was Keith’s minor DNA profile on that cord likewise identified from a single cell? Was it on the cord because he held the cord when he was plugging it into a TV? The state’s own expert testified that DNA can be transferred through direct or indirect contact,” Howaniec said.

Assistant District Attorney Kate Bozeman said, “It was just a horrible coincidence that this is all happening on the same day that the defendant for the first time ever decided to no-call, no-show at work, to ditch his phone in a remote field, to flee the state of Maine.”