Man charged with murder in Waterville

South Grove Street in Waterville was cordoned off with crime scene tape following a Feb. 19 shooting that left one person dead, police said. A suspect was arrested Friday and charged with murder. Jake Freudberg/Morning Sentinel file

WATERVILLE – A Waterville man was arrested Friday and charged with murder in the Feb. 19 shooting death of 22-year-old Justin Iraola outside a South Grove Street home.

Tyler Quirion Photo courtesy of Kennebec County Correctional Facility

Tyler Quirion, 20, was indicted by a Kennebec County grand jury on Thursday and also charged with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, according to a news release issued Friday evening by the Maine Department of Public Safety.

An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on the day of the shooting determined that Iraola's cause and manner of death were multiple gunshot wounds and homicide, respectively, the release said. Iraola lived in Winslow at the time of his killing.

The release said the Waterville Police Department and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit conducted a comprehensive investigation into the shooting. Quirion was taken to the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta and is being held without bail, according to the release from Lt. Aaron M. Turcotte, troop commander of the Maine State Police Central Field Troop.

Waterville police initially responded to the shooting, which occurred just after 8 a.m. on Feb. 19 outside a duplex at 16-18 South Grove St. The shooting occurred outside the southernmost portion of the duplex at 18 South Grove. Police officers from several departments, as well as the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit, arrived at the scene. Waterville dispatch logs at the time described the incident as a homicide.

The day after the shooting, a young boy opened the door and let a reporter into the apartment at 18 South Grove. His mother, who identified herself only as Amanda, was sitting on a couch inside. She said a man named “Justin” was the murdered man. She said he was visiting the house and at some point went outside, where he was shot. She said her daughter witnessed the shooting but was unavailable for comment at the time. Neighbors said at the time that the apartment at 18 South Grove was the scene of loud parties on weekends, with vehicles with out-of-state license plates arriving on both sides of the street.

A family member said a few weeks ago that Amanda died of a serious infection a few days after the shooting. Her family no longer lives in the duplex.

In late April, neighbors on South Grove Street who were interviewed said they were concerned because so much time had passed since the death and no information about the investigation had been released.

When asked why the investigation was taking so long, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Shannon Moss said the investigation was still ongoing and she had no timeline for when police would release additional information.

“Every death and/or homicide investigation is complex and presents its own unique challenges,” Moss said. “Sometimes these investigations can take days, weeks, months or even years.”

“The goal is always the integrity of the investigation and the victims and their families,” she said.

After the shooting, Iraola's brother Frankie said in a social media post that he was there when the shooting happened and Justin Iraola put himself between him and the shooter, saving his (Frankie's) life. In the post, he mourned the loss of his brother:

“My little brother… I'm so sorry… seeing you like this was the hardest thing I've ever had to endure. Your eyes are slowly darkening… whatever awaits us on the other side. As you gasped for air, as I kept trying to bring you back to me, I realized I couldn't help you… and I feel responsible for you not being able to see your daughter again.”

Copy the story link