PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Police arrested a 75-year-old Presque Isle man Thursday afternoon and charged him with murder in connection with the death of Starlett Vining, who has been missing for nearly 13 years.
State police, working with the Presque Isle Police Department, arrested George Jaime Sr. about 3:45 p.m at The Star City Trading Post.
Vining last was seen alive in the fall of 1998 in the Presque Isle area and would have been 38 years old at the time of her death, according to Stephen McCausland, Maine State Police spokesman.
Vining’s body has not been found, McCausland said.
The trading post, a pawn shop, is located in a large apartment house at the corner of Main and State streets in Presque Isle, which police have been searching since Monday.
Jaime was taken to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton and will make his initial appearance at the Houlton courthouse on Friday.
Detectives were continuing to search the building Thursday evening.
Vining and Jaime were in a relationship in 1998, according to McCausland.
The arrest was made Thursday after consultation with the attorney general’s office. Details about the investigation will be contained in an affidavit released from the courthouse on Friday.
City tax records examined Thursday show that the building where Jaime was arrested is owned by A.M. Smith Trust in care of George J. Jaime. Jaime renewed his pawnbroker license with the city in April 2012, according to municipal documents.
The state police mobile crime unit and members of the evidence response teams were inside the building Thursday. Earlier this week, a state police dog was at the scene.
People living in apartments over the store watched during the afternoon and evening as evidence technicians worked below.
Residents of nearby apartments, who asked not to be identified Thursday, said that Jaime had been at the scene earlier in the day. The pawn shop has a “For Rent” sign on the storefront.
A man who answered the phone at Jaime’s residence Thursday evening said that he was not at home and immediately hung up.
According to Vining’s missing person profile on the state police website, she last worked at Smythe’s IGA in Presque Isle. That store closed in July 2007. Described as a dependable employee, Vining suddenly stopped going to work in the fall of 1998 and never returned to pick up her last paycheck.
Vining’s former husband and her three now-adult children told police that they last saw her in 1998.
Maine State Police Detective Josh Haines said that family members reported her missing in October 2006. The detective said that the family was not very close and that Vining tended to relocate often. She did not always keep in touch with her family but she never was out of their lives for more than a few years at a time.
Haines had said that recent information led investigators to believe people in the community may have knowledge about the circumstances of Vining’s disappearance.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Adam Stoutamyer with the Maine State Police at 532-5400 or 800-924-2261.
As a fan of true crime stories, I am most interested in what happened between 2006 and 2012. Why didn’t the police search for her then? When did they learn the facts that led them to search Jaime’s property? Facts, please! Good job to those who participated in solving this crime without a body. This guy thought he got away with murder. You showed him it’s never too late to solve a cold case.
“Haines had said that recent information led investigators to believe people in the community may have further knowledge about the circumstances of Vining’s disappearance.” you cant really find a person with no leads from 2006 to 2012. Obviously the new lead was a good one.
As a fan of true crime stories you should know this case is far from being “solved”. Why in the heck did the family wait seven long years to report her missing?
Maine State Police Detective Josh Haines said that family members reported her missing in October 2006. The detective said that the family was not very close and that Vining tended to relocate often. She did not always keep in touch with her family but she never was out of their lives for more than a few years at a time.
Thats what doesn’t make sense, she would normally be gone for a couple years but after 4,5,6 years they still didn’t report her missing until sometime in year seven?
Families are differant I guess some close some not so close. Depends on the people involved.
It sounds like the family did not consider her “missing.” Just not in touch.
i was think that to…why after she didn’t pick up her pay check from work didn’t her employer, or coworkers report her missing……her mail must have been piling up some where…weather she moved around or not there must have been signs of her missing…i think that is just ridiculous that someone didn’t report her missing in sooooo long…so sad.
I am wondering if she didnt live in that basement apartment…noone would see all her mail and such if he was the one taking it..he lives in the buildinghe hadmore than access…by her not picking up her last paycheck and a week go by…looking for her should have been a priority. She did live in the community..didnt anyone care?.
I live in Presque Isle myself…rescent to the area…but that is the sad truth why did a family wait so many years…so sad that it took that family so many years to report her missing…
Somewhere in the story it states that she often was “away” for years at at time. I myself have a sister whom I don’t hear from YEARS at a time…..scary …yor never really know for sure if they’re okay.
Last seen in 1998, family reported her missing in 2006…that would be 8 years.
Guilty until proven innocent, eh? You should never be allowed to serve on a jury.
To bad a few others wouldn’t be solved. Like the lady in Stockton Springs all those years ago.
Where’s the body?
If you click on the map of PI above it will show the marker in the wrong place, that is they Key Bank Plaza.
The store/apartments are across the street
looks like the red blob is on the pawn shop building to me.
yup map is wrong…..that is key bank..
he must have tape recorded his crime if there is no body recovered
why do you say that may i ask
wheres all the evidence..??? I love half stories.
As the article indicates, more information will be released in the affadavit filed in court tomorrow. In the murder cases I have covered in The County, investigators do not release information to the media until it is filed in that court document, to be first looked at by a judge, the prosecutor and Jaime’s attorney.
RIP Ms. Vining. Justice may finally be served
With no body,how can anyone say beyond a reasonable doubt that she is deceased? Well, you couldn’t ,not untill Chris Almy got a murder conviction in the Hicks case. This guy is a scum bag based solely on his sex crime conviction,and I’m not defending him.But in my opinion you can’t prove someone is dead unless you have their remains.
Obviously, the police & the DA think differently than you do. If they’ve arrested someone for murder, then they have good reason to believe she’s dead.
Why would there be a ” for rent ” sign hanging in the window? There was a murder there! There’s no way they would allow anyone to rent that property if there is bodies in the basement. Who would want to rent a place like that anyways!? I can’t help but think of what poor and horrific events led to this woman’s untimely death. Hopefully her family will get answers now, and have some kind of closure.
The for rent sign has been in the window 20 plus years. He is also a landlord.
he’s not a landlord anymore!
There aren’t bodies in the basement: “Vining’s body has not been found, McCausland said.”
funny how on my local news they said they found a body in there. They said it had been confirmed that there was a body found in there, and that they were getting DNA samples from her family to make a positive match. Guess it might not be her body, but who else would it be?
I hate conflicting news stories. Either way, this is not a good situation for him.
Funny. The affidavit was sealed. So unless your local news doubles as the Maine State Police then they know nothing about a body as of now.
The comment was made on the news, then it was rescinded at the end of the news program. The next day he was arrested, the news reported it again. The records was sealed on Friday afternoon. He was arrested on Thursday. The police have said that there is no body as of yet.
a man recently had been mentioned in the news about supposedly having a psychic dream that her body was in the basement of the building
Also, what the heck are they going to do with all his junk in there!
Yahd Sale! :-)
I believe therez no crime here and the man noz nothing of her whereabouts.However,no body,no case..So why would they arrest this man?They have more evidence in the disapearance of Alahe Renolds case,but everyone there that was there are still walking around..Hmmmmmmm?
Google “No Body murder cases.” Yes, it is very difficult to prove a murder case without a body, but it can and has been done.
There must be some fairly strong evidence to have arrested him and charged him with murder.
I hate to be the pessimist but it’s nearly impossible to charge someone with murder without a body. Especially in a missing persons case, it technically isn’t officially a murder since she is technically still missing unless there is something major not reported yet. He would undoubtly had to have confessed unless there is some substantial evidence that indeed shows that he disposed of a body.
Sweet vintage tee. I bet he was wearing it 13 years ago.
Without finding a body–Jaime must have confessed to killing her. I lived in PI years ago and havent seen George Jaime in a long time…but he still looks like the same scumbag and slumlord I remembered– minus the glasses
Rest in Peace Starlette Vining & rot in hell George Jaime Sr.
This guy has been involved in alot of stuff over the years. He was on the sex offender list and for some reason was removed. He makes money but his business is known to be a cover. There have been issues with women in his apartments and if you can’t pay rent with money there are other means of trade. This guy is known to be more than a pawn shop owner. I think we will find out all the stuff he has been involved in. Its my guess he either really upset the wrong person or he had scared someone so bad they ratted him out to get him off the street.
Yesterday the local morning news reported that a body WAS found at the Pawn Shop and are waiting for family DNA samples to confirm the remains. Whats the deal here? Unfortunatly, they will probably find more bodies.
That is wrong about the news reporting a body. If you are refering to channel 8 PI they clearly said that many rumors have been going around and one was that a body had been found and that they had no knowledge of that in their communications with the police and that they wanted to clarify that this is something they were definately not aware of and that they were not sure how it got started but it was not through them. RIGHT OUT OF LAURA THOMAS mouth. Just clarifying.
No….not channel 8 news. I heard it on the radio –Dial back the caffeine man
Not intending to offend. Just trying to say that even the news is stating that there are a good chunk of rumors floating around and that we can’t believe everything we hear and that it will be a while until we really know the full story.. Sorry if you took it differently than intended.
no worries–I figured you were yelling at me because of the CAPS
George will now be registered in the sex offender registry, in the murderer registry, and at JCPenney for sheets to match his prison curtains.
If convictions were gotten on looks, he’d be convicted already.
At 75 his life sentence if found guilty won’t last long.
This is a bit confusing..No one has confessed to killing anyone, no corpse is found. Strange family whereas members just up and leave (for yrs! ) and its no big deal even when its your mom or wife ? Guys 75 yrs old and people don’t seem to like him cause of how he looks or accusations about his past ? Well by all means lets convict him of something he’s got to be a “scumbag” ? Strange story indeed.
I’m curious as to how they can charge him with murder with no body, and no evidence of a murder, but I understand there are still details not released the reports. Maybe BDN just headlined it wrong as usual.
Its on Channel 8 Presque Isle’s facebook page that Jaime’s lawyer has asked the judge to have the affidavit and documents sealed and the judge granted it today in Jaime’s first court appearence so that means few details will be given out.