Maine Murder Suspect Arrested After Accident in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Pursuit

PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WRGB) — Pittsfield police arrested a man Friday morning who was wanted for murder in Bangor, Maine, earlier this week.

On September 25, officers with the Bangor Maine Police Department discovered that 39-year-old Virginia Cookson had died in a home. An autopsy was performed on September 27 at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta, Maine, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.

As a result of an investigation by the Bangor Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division in collaboration with the Maine Attorney General's Office, an arrest warrant was issued for Richard Keith Thorpe, 42, of Bangor, for murder.

MORE:Man accused of killing family in Pawlet will be extradited to Vermont

Shortly before 4 a.m. Friday, officers with the Pittsfield Police Department responded to a car accident near the intersection of West and Onota Streets. The vehicle was unoccupied and items found in the vehicle led officers to believe Thorpe may have been the driver. Officers conducted an area search but were unable to locate the driver at this time.

Shortly before 7 a.m., officers responded to a stolen motor vehicle on West Housatonic Street. A BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for the vehicle was sent to officials in Pittsfield and neighboring jurisdictions.

According to Pittsfield Police, the stolen vehicle was located around 8:30 a.m. and the operator led officers on a chase that included the areas of West Street and intersecting streets. The suspect vehicle crossed the median, overtook cars in a no-passing zone and did not stop for police. It should be noted that school bus operations were active at this time. The vehicle was eventually stopped in the area of ​​Euclid Avenue after making contact with a police vehicle. No significant injuries were reported.

MORE:ONLY ON 6: Discuss how a Pittsfield kid escaped a serial killer and helped solve the case

The driver of the stolen vehicle was positively identified as Thorpe and was taken into custody without incident. He was charged with numerous traffic offenses and an out-of-state warrant for murder. He is expected to be arraigned in Pittsfield District Court.

As a precautionary measure during the car chase, all local schools were asked to shelter in place and based on the location of Taconic High School, that school was placed on lockdown. The security measures at the school lasted about five minutes.

Neither Thorpe nor Cookson have any known connection to Pittsfield Mass. and there are no documented service calls prior to this event. No further information is currently available. Some of the information in this report was provided by Detective Tim Shaw of the Bangor Police Department.