Maine woman's ex-boyfriend arrested in Mass., facing murder charge in her death

A man was arrested Friday morning in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend in Bangor, Maine, earlier in the week.

Pittsfield police say 42-year-old Richard Keith Thorpe, who was wanted in the death of 39-year-old Virginia Cookson, was taken into custody on a fugitive from justice charge following a police chase that prompted nearby schools to shelter in place and one high school to go into a lockdown.

Bangor police were initially notified about 9 a.m. Wednesday of a possible death on Larkin Street, News Center Maine reported. One of Cookson's coworkers had apparently gone to the home after she didn't show up for work Wednesday, and then contacted police after not being able to make contact.

Responding officers found Cookson's body inside the home, and the chief medical examiner's office ruled her death a homicide on Thursday after an autopsy was performed.

Bangor police said officers had just responded to the home about a week earlier for a reported "family fight" there, but no arrests were initially announced.

An investigation by Bangor police in conjunction with the state's attorney general's office led to an arrest warrant for Thorpe for the crime of murder. Once the warrant was issued, a BOLO (be on the lookout) went out to law enforcement agencies basically on this side of the country, Bangor police said.

Just before 4 a.m. Friday, the Pittsfield Police Department says it responded to a single motor vehicle crash near the intersection of West and Onota streets and found an unoccupied vehicle with items inside that led officers to believe that the operator may have been Thorpe.

A search was conducted of the area but the driver wasn't located.

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About three hours later that same morning, just prior to 7, Pittsfield police say officers responded to West Housatonic Street for a report of a stolen motor vehicle. A BOLO for that vehicle was broadcast to Pittsfield officers and neighboring jurisdictions.

Roughly 90 minutes later, around 8:30 a.m., the stolen vehicle was located and the operator led Pittsfield officers on a motor vehicle pursuit that included the areas of West Street and intersecting streets, police said. The suspect vehicle allegedly crossed the center divider, passed cars in a no-passing zone, and failed to stop for police -- all while school bus operations were active.

As a precaution during the motor vehicle pursuit, all local schools were asked to shelter in place and based on the location of Taconic High School, that school was locked down, Pittsfield police said. The school safety actions lasted about five minutes.

The vehicle was eventually stopped in the area of Euclid Avenue after it made contact with a police vehicle, Pittsfield police said. No significant injuries were reported.

The operator of the stolen vehicle was positively identified as Thorpe, and he was taken into custody without incident, Pittsfield police said. He was charged with numerous motor vehicle offenses and the out-of-state arrest warrant for murder.

Bangor police said Thorpe reportedly waived extradition and would be returned to Maine as soon as possible, where he'll be charged with depraved indifference murder. No court date or arraignment date in Maine has yet been set, and it wasn't immediately clear if Thorpe had obtained an attorney.

According to police, neither Thorpe nor Cookson, both of Bangor, Maine, have any known connection to Pittsfield, Mass.

An investigation is ongoing.