BANGOR, Maine — Detectives trying to find out who is responsible for the deaths of three people found a week ago in a car that was left ablaze in a dark parking lot are following out-of-state leads, Bangor Sgt. Paul Edwards said Tuesday.
At the same time, rumors circulating that the three were on a hit list has friends and relatives of the homicide victims running scared that they too may be on the list, the sergeant said.
The three homicide victims — Daniel T. Borders, 26, of Hermon, Nicolle A. Lugdon, 24, of Eddington, and Lucas A. Tuscano, 28, of Bradford — were found burned beyond recognition inside a white Pontiac with Rhode Island plates that was discovered on fire early on Aug. 13.
“I can tell you we’ve gone out of state,” Edwards said of the investigation, but declined to release where specifically, saying only that detectives are following leads somewhere in New England.
No arrests have been made, he said.
The car was driven by an out-of-state man who comes to Maine on occasion, always in a rental car, the victims’ friends have said, using his name, which the Bangor Daily News is withholding because he has not been charged with any crime.
The out-of-state man, who friends say knew Lugdon and Borders, reportedly knocked on the front door of a Bangor apartment about 1 a.m. on Aug. 13 and left with the three homicide victims, possibly to go smoke marijuana.
Police are not saying if they have interviewed the out-of-state man.
“I can’t answer that,” Edwards said.
A woman driving to work discovered the Pontiac ablaze at about 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 13 in the back parking lot of Automatic Distributors, located at 22 Target Industrial Circle.
A person walking away from the burning car appears in video surveillance images taken from the business, an employee and Edwards have said.
Whether the person in the video is the same man who picked up Borders, Lugdon and Tuscano is a question that police are trying to answer. While Bangor continues to be the lead investigative agency, the Maine attorney general’s office took over the case shortly after the medical examiner determined that the deaths were homicides.
Bangor police have partnered with Maine State Police detectives and investigators from the state fire marshal’s office, all of whom continue to probe the triple homicide, Edwards said.
Friends of the victims have called police about reports that there is a hit list, he said.
“People are saying it on Facebook,” Edwards said. “We’ve heard that there is a list. I have no idea if there is or not.”
A friend of Lugdon, whose sister was dating Borders, called police about the rumored hit list.
“She’s is convinced there is a list and she’s on it,” the sergeant said.
No one that Edwards is aware of has asked for police protection, he said.
I went to college in RI and lived there for a few years afterward; the criminals in that state are right out of the Sopranos. These three were in way over their heads and sadly paid a very high price for the naivety.
Has everyone concluded that since the car was ‘from’ Rhode Island that the person who did this is, too?
I for one know I have not read or heard anywhere that the car and the person who ‘knocked on the door’ were from the same state. They only said the person was from out of state and usually came to Maine in a rental. They have never said that the car the people were in was a rental vehicle. I do hope they find the person(s) responsible and bring them to justice so the community can know what really happened.
This story goes along with that Firefighter from Florida that was coming up here. Drugs are taking over Maine and out of staters are coming in to make a buck off of all the dumb young people in Maine. This will continue to happen to these low-lifes if they don’t clean up their act. Of course this was about drugs and money, I feel that only 1 person was the real target and that the other 2 were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Very True, Although all these Friends of the deceased continue to defend them and there outstanding behavior in the community, they should pull their heads out od the sand, a person on drugs will cheat, lie, steal, even to family Members and friends to get money or a fix. That’s just the way it is, and to keep defending them is a disservice to the rest of us. It is very sad this ended the way it did, but the drug dealers do not extend credit, or have a revolving charge plan, they are run like the Mafia or are one in the same at some higher level, and when a bill is not paid a message is sent, call it a hit, a Murder, a wakeup call to the rest of the users not to try to stiff someone with the bill.
So now the only Bill is to the taxpayers for all the investigation and emergency services.
For all we know the person responsible for the deaths, could be dead himself as there were 2 other cars as the news reported, so where are the other people involved.
This is why the kingpins have the lower dispensable people do their dirty work, and often get rid of all evidence, so there may be no one to find as he or she could be dead themselves. As sad as it is or sounds it is true. Why do many people say project people are in to this perhaps because they are lazy and do not want to work, just rather party,and do drugs.
It is a sad but harsh reality for sure. Sadly, when drugs get ahold of our youth, they destroy lives and break parents’ hearts. I will never understand why children don’t hear their parents when the parents tell them about this thing called ‘guilt by association’ or when they tell their kids not to hang out with people who do drugs. I always try to instill in my children that there is inherent good and bad in everyone, and that if you are found with someone who is guilty of a crime you will be arrested along with them, if the situation applies. there are a lot of very good and very sensible comments here, and a lot to think about.
I hope the people left behind by these young adults can find a way to pick up and move on and give their children as good and peaceful a life as possible. It is, after all, always the children who suffer, and I can’t imagine having to explain this to a child of any age.
I pray the law enforcement involved and anyone else in the investigation does their job according to policy and procedure and that the person(s) responsible for this most unimaginable crime gets the full punishment allowable.
This whole thing just leaves parents shaking their heads and hearts broken. One has to wonder how to safely bring a child up to productive adulthood after experiencing such an event as this in our community.
Doubt there’s a hit list since Lugdon was self-invited and Tuscano was her tag along. No way to plan for that scenario if you’re planning a hit. It looks like Borders was the target and the others were simply in the very wrong place at the very wrong time.
I wouldnt say there isnt one, but it does look like that borders was on the list and unfortunately lugdon and tuscano became collateral damage. Terrible to think that 2 people were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but if your hanging out with individuals that deal with people like this you never know whats gonna happen when you get in the car with them. You dont know if your “friend” owes money or anything especially to out of state people who are extremely dangerous. Again, its all speculation but its not that far fetched especially when dealing with cocaine and harder drugs
but if Borders was the “target” then why didnt the murderer drop those 2 off at the closest store….take off and even leave them stranded there…that would have made it so innocent people didnt fall prey to the same ending Borders did…
Maybe that person or persons didn’t think that he/they could take a chance. The two could ID. him/them when Borders was found dead somewhere.
But it would leave witnesses
Because they could have been “witnesses” as to who was the last to see Borders alive if he was the only one murdered.
“possibly to go smoke marijuana.”
Thanks for that tidbit of speculation BDN
Is there anything else that you are holding back on, or is the part about people being afraid that they “are on a hit list” really the only news here?
Somebody looks like they need the help of the little bait fish to catch the whopper…
I believe the friends said that, not BDN. If you dont like this paper why are you here? geesh.
I, for one, sign onto BDN several times a day. Lately, I’ve signed in even more times to see if there are updates on this case.
THANK YOU BDN for the free service, and for keeping us posted to the best of your ability.
Thank You for a positive post.
It’s called reporting Mark. Here’s the ENTIRE quote in context:
“The out-of-state man, who friends say knew Lugdon and Borders, reportedly knocked on the front door of a Bangor apartment about 1 a.m. on Aug. 13 and left with the three homicide victims, possibly to go smoke marijuana.”
They have a source and they are just relaying his information. They are just withholding his name because he has not been charged with a crime.
getaway car? it has got to be 2 people, if your leaving town Dysarts is open. video please
my comment must be approved by a moderater
hahahaha mine too! Mine was up as the only comment ALL afternoon with 60+ likes, as in people agree and now BOOM..its gone. haha this is so funny because i hardly ever comment and when i do its respectful. now this must be approved? see ya lata byyyyye
I had a comment like that a while ago on another article – 60+ likes w/responses from other commenters. Overnight the whole thread disappeared even though (as far as I can tell) it did not violate any of the BDN’s rules…. I can’t help but notice all the “This comment has been flagged for review” on some articles VS others. It is always on the articles that are “hot button” topics and can’t help but wonder if some one is just going and flagging anything that they do not agree with. If that is the case, shame on them!
Just got comment waiting for approval as well… :)
We are known by the company we keep, for better or worse. I grew up in a housing project, and was friendly to everyone, but not friends with everyone. I stayed away from anything more than casual contact with people I knew were trouble. Be careful who you associate with. Maybe they would never harm you, but can you say the same about the people they associate with?
Thats nice your are from project housing. Are you insinuating that the drug problem is just soley in project housing?
Throughout the entire weeks worth of comments I have read most of them… were bigotry.
Would the opinions be different if the victims were from pillars of the community and lived on West Broadway?
No one has commented on Bradford nor Hermon.
What if the victims were actually going to a fastfood restaurant instead of smoking a joint as speculated?
I have read alot comments blaming the victims. What about the suppliers.(capital punishment would be a great deterant.).
I appreciate your kind encouraging statement don’t associate with troubled people.This is just part of the equation to the solution. I’m sure that went through the victims mind.Unfortunately, they were victims of a predator.
The sad thing……there are more suppliers out in the community waiting for their next prey.
So perhaps maybe the community can work together and hold a public forum to create a zero tolerence ……. instead of degrading less fortunate.
You are reading more into my comment then was intended. I know for a fact that drug problems are not confined to the projects. It was a terrible thing that happened to these 3 young people. I have never thought or said otherwise, or blamed them for being killed.
Or just legalize. Making it illegal just makes it easy for violent psychopathic killers to become rich. Capital punishment? For murderers, possibly. For dealers, it simply guarantees that the price will go up, that the dealers will become much much richer, and that the only people to become drug dealers will be violent psychopaths who are willing to take the risk of death to get rich. The costs, the benefits will go up. Drug use and drug dealing is commonplace now. If the drug laws are meant to keep people from using drugs they haven’t worked at all. They’re only a mechanism to transfer money from hard working taxpayers to government employees – cops, courts, jails. Enough already.
I don’t think that Marijuana was the drung that Nicolle was going out to smoke. I think it was heroin as this is what has been reported that she was addicted to, as was her Mother who died of a heroin overdose, and Father who killed his Mother. The whole family was addicted to heroin..
No one will ever know why the three victims went off with the person who may have been the last person to see them alive. You may be right, you may be wrong. But they are just as dead.
why are all my comments needing to be approved.
All comments are needing to be approved. but they arent doing a very good job, who takes 3 hours to review and approve a comment??? and then that comment to you earlier got through.
Jeez IDK, have you read some of the comments from all of the articles pertaining to this story?
Glad I am not the only one!
Are you serious!?!? The police won’t disclose if they’ve interviewed the giy who rented the car!?!? However, they will gladly blurt out that they spoke to the friends and family and they’re supposesly following some crap lead on a rumor found on facebook about a hit-list?? In other words, they can’t find the guy responsible for the rental car and they don’t want anyone to know they’ve failed this far in the investigation.
It’s a bit early to jump to conclusions and assume failure, don’t you think? If the police aren’t informing you about whether or not they’ve interviewed the driver of that car, if they aren’t telling you the manner of homicide, if they aren’t providing you with all the details of their investigation… they probably don’t want you to know. That does not in any way mean that they can’t find this guy or that they’ve failed. Homicide is not something any PD would or should approach haphazardly. They’ve got to make sure they dot every “i” and cross every “t” – do everything right or the murderer could get off on a technicality. That’s just common sense!
Well said DjBrown
THat’s your expert opinion? Nice work. Here’s a hint. When they start showing videos, pictures and crime-scene evidence to the public, THAT is when they don’t know what’s going on and need a lead to get them going again. Right now, they aren’t asking for anything other than they routine “Did you see anything?” and that’s a pretty good sign for the investigation. You can’t rely on what the Media Liason knows.
People can’t escape the law. This individual will be caught.
i look at it this way NOBODY can keep a secret…a person ALWAYS tells someone….and to keep a secret of this magnitude…come on…this person(s) are going to spew it all to someone sooner or later..lets just pray its sooner
Unfortunately, people CAN escape the law. Carlson did, to name just one.
Unfortunately, people CAN escape the law. Carlson certainly did, to name just one.
In Maine alone there are 69 unsolved murder cases dating back to 1970. Kitty Wardwell disappeared in 1983; her body was found in a freezer in a storage unit last fall because the renter of the unit, who had murdered her in 1983, died. He certainly escaped the law. Don’t kid yourself, people escape the law every day.
Since when does a Person of Interest’s name remain witheld if they’ve “not been charged with a crime”?
Should any rumors be well-founded, I would think folks who fear they’re on such a list would want to know who this “out of state” man is.
I dont know, but I believe, they have not even named him as a person of interest. because when they do, the paper usually reports it. but like I said, I dont really know for sure. I think when the police actually say so n so is a person of interest, the paper will most likely print that.
I am not a rocket scientist or a detective but I am assuming they are with-holding names so the scum bag who did this doesn’t take off and run some where, where they can’t get to them!! Juss’ sayyyin….
Since when does a Person of Interest’s name not be published since they’ve “not be charged” with a crime?
If I were fearful of being on some rumored list, I’d sure want to know just how this “out of state” man is.
There were comments here what happened to them BDN
Apparently, they are moving to full moderation mode.
Maybe they should tell the cops what then did and to whom they did it.
It would be a good thing to solve this crime quickly.
Yes. It would be a wonderful thing for this horrific crime to be solved quickly. My concern is that doing so will create a fall out that will make our city’s FBI vs. Al Brady history look like a play ground brawl. Law Enforcement is going to have to make the decision on how much collateral damage is acceptable. If LE opts for collateral damage, the only way we are going to be able to eradicate this poison from our area is under marshal law.
As citizens of the Bangor Area the best thing we can do, in memory of these 3 young people, is attack the drug problem right from our own home fronts. I don’t care who you are, the drug problem (prescription and imported) has spiraled so far out of control, that we ALL know of at least one person affected by an addiction problem. If one person helps one person overcome their addiction that in turn is one person less to be buying on the streets. One person less to be committing criminal acts. One person less to be leaving this world too early. One person less to be leaving this type of legacy to a child.
Wake up Bangor. Now is the time to Pay It Forward.
My thoughts are with you. Its nice to see your not as biased for the addicts( who are really trying) as some opinions in this forum.
There needs to be work on the supply end too. ie change the penal code. Set up random searches at the toll both. Use k-9s.
Hopefully, the driver has been caught and is experiencing some waterboarding.
Would like to see capital punishment in the State of Maine.
Perhaps US can be like Singapore or Turkey.
I just witnessed a patron at a local drug store was asked to remove sunglasses and his hat with the concern of a robbery as the pharmacies are on guard. At first I thought,t wow how degrading. But if I am asked I will do the same.
Everyone needs to help.
Interesting BDN has moved to full comment moderation. That should kill the participation rate rather quickly.
sure does slow down the flow to pretty much nothing, doesnt it. then a very threatening comment got threw, I had to flag it to get it off.
Scary and sad situation here. I hope they catch who did this. Regardless of the possibility of drug use/abuse, no one DESERVES to die. Period.
I really hate looking at that pic of the car it makes me sick. It makes me sick to think that human beings could be so evil to do something like this. It obviously involved drugs and I guess they are more important then human life?? What is wrong with people, how can they be so evil it is beyond me. I hope that the detectives in this case are working on this hard and will have an arrest soon. This is not right.
I have signed on to this site to read the comments and also to make a few comments, but when they are slowed down for review by hours it make it very hard to find out how other people are feeling, thinking and responding to this story…BDN
XWhat’s this approval crap after all the stuff i seen posted here no one has been screening anything so far to amount to anything
Apparently the people w/personal relationships w/the victims aren’t subject to a gag order. Let ’em talk, listen up, & report what they are saying. Someone always knows something, even if they don’t know that they know it.
first there is one comment forever. then it takes over an hour for your comment to show up. then there is like 6 comments. then there is none, then 20, then 17, then 20 and it is still taking over an hour or more for comments to show up.
they are reviewing every single comment, but this one gets through????
The identity of those on the supposed hit list have been publicized even though they commited no crime but they will not reveal the name of the person of interest who is supposedly out to kill them.
whose identity on the hit list has been publicized? I dont see that.
relax there is no hit list.
I too believe there is no list. sorry if it looked like I thought there was. my real point was I didnt see any names published. ….
You missed the point? Regardless of whether there is or was a “hit” list, or not, there are 3 murder victims and their lives are exposed, published, debated, etc., but NOT the dangerous murderer currently on the loose. Police have not made a public BOLO? That’s unsafe. Their duty is primarily to keep the public safe, while preforming their other investigative duties. Unless LE has a reason to believe this particular triple-murderer is no threat to others at this time(?) they need to keep the public informed, IMO.
No, I did not miss the point. there has been no POI announced. and there have been no “hit-list” names announced. that is all that comment said.
the police first priority is to keep the public safe, by getting this guy off the street for good, not jumping the gun and have him go free on a tech.
If they disclose the name of the suspect there is a chance either a) they will flee or seek shelter, making it harder to track or b) some self righteous person will take matters into their own hands potentially ruining the investigation or getting hurt/killed. If the suspect was killed by some random bystander, that bystander will get in trouble. And what if that suspect was actually innocent? If you think of it, they are keeping people safe.
Cranston, RI was a nice town at one time. Like many others, it is now victim of the drug/violence culture. Same for Pawtucket, Cumberland, Lincoln, and, of course, Providence. The Mafia people have, for the most part, moved into legitimate business such as gambling (today I guess it is legitimate). The local punks and gang bangers are running the drug trade and it appears some of them are borrowing techniques from their counterparts south of the US/Mexico border. Everyone who is tempted to smoke, snort, swallow, inject, or otherwise ingest this junk is a part of the problem.
Not really… It’s more when a neighborhood primary ethnic base changes, there’s a focus on stereotypes of that new group. It happened to the Irish, Italians, Blacks, and now to the Latin/Asian population that currently inhabits the area. Just as all Irish arent wife beating violent drunks, and all Italians arent “in the mob”, not all latin kids are “gangbangers”, but it’s easier to classify the new group as “dangerous” and pretend there was any difference between the preceding group.
I wonder if any of these friends and family who claim that the victims were on a hit list, are the same folks irate at the BDN and its commenters for bringing up their past drug convictions. To say that they are on a hit list, is to say that their “pasts” caught up to them which means their records are very relevant.
Havent been able to get a new comment for two hours! Go figure?
BDN works in conjuction with the BPD!!! and I believe the reason for removing some comments, is that, there won”t be interference from the public, in their investigation!! this is a complex case, and it takes the right amount of time to properly investigate!! be kind and helpful to both the BDN and BPD!! and follow the rules set forth by the BDN.. and while your at it, be thankful for both these entities!! some counteries would not even allow us to make ANY comments on any criminal cases!!! patience is a virtue!!!!
Ya well were are not in any other country. We are in America where there is understatnding that Cencership is slavery of the mind. As for the Bangor Police Department, yes if we can read the comments so can they, so what?
Why drugs? Why violence? Read the Holy Bible and absorb the Word of God. You will not hunger and thirst for drugs and alcohol but be cleansed by the Water and Blood. You will find a peace and satisfaction that no other food or drink can satisfy.
the crimes that are happening is a reflection of our economy. people are getting so desperate. high cost of gas high cost of oil high cost of food. people resrt o drugs to escape from it. drugs makes them crazy. you get murders robberies all sorts of things. you got someone like lepage cutting this and that . more chance of serious crimes
Triple homicide, bodies incinerated in a car.
“reflection of our economy . . . so desperate . . . high cost of gas . . . drugs to escape from it . . . lepage [sic]”
Give me a break.
LePage didn’t make gas prices rise and he didn’t cause the high cost of food, and cuts to government spending are happening all across the country for a very good reason, despite high taxes, states and municipalities are literally running out of money. It’s Obama and liberal policies that won’t allow us to drill our own oil, and it’s Obama’s EPA who won’t repeal the environmentally counterproductive requirement that we use our corn for fuel instead of food, driving up the cost of everything made of corn, as well as meat, so don’t be trying to blame LePage for things he had nothing to do with. Besides, every good liberal knows it’s all GWB’s fault, LOL!
All of the people involved in this incident were able bodied adults and well able to work and support themselves. If you don’t have money enough to buy your own gas or food, how do you find the money to buy something as expensive as heroin or any other illegal drug? The economy had nothing to do with this tragedy, poor choices combined with some very bad luck had everything to do with it.
Non sequitur or possibly just naive. Interesting that you choose to blame others for individual choices & circumstances. I’m not a fan of “someone like lepage,” yet blaming him seems rather… naive or you may just be using a tragedy to further your own agenda? In any event, I don’t understand that particular mindset.
Why BDN do you have a comment section if people are not allowed to leave comments.
What a horrific situation. I hope they catch the person (s) responsible for this. Condolences to the family.
I am sooo glad that it appears police may be working on finding this person as we all know “someone” knows who this person is. and knows why this person was in town…It is also sad to think that alot of people have been saying stuff about these murder victims…what has happened in their past is just that their past. we each and everyone of us has a past and we each own our past the good and the bad..make mistakes..we have all made mistakes..some turn out good and ok others turn out bad BUT is there ANY reason at all to dislike a person who isnt here to stand up for themselves against what their “supposed” friends say… and although I have made mistakes in the past I would hope my friends would say good things about me and yes admit to the fact of screwing up but not condem me for it. Most of all the public in general wants them to find and prosecute this person(s) so possibly we can not look at the person beside us and wonder if they have an ulterior motive for being in this area….
Reporter Ricker and the BDN are doing a commendable job in keeping up to date on what is happening in this triple homicide. Gruesome murders which indicated from Day One, the case has out of state connections.
The newspaper and police stick to the facts. But equally interesting are the comments and the sidebars about “Hit Lists.” It has all the attributes of a Hollywood film noir.
The mystery man who knocked on the apartment door. Was he same man who was last seen running from the parking lot where the victims were found? And, who was waiting for him? Or. had he already parked his getaway car there prior to the crime?
The fire itself. A witness states the car was engulfed in flames. Was it gasoline? If so, were fire accelerants added to intensify the heat in an attempt to destroy all evidence. Pictures show the skeletal remains of a car, which indicate that the killer(s) almost achieved that goal. How the three died has not been disclosed. Was it by gunshot, garrote, or stabbing? And, will it be possible to determine if the causes of death of these three people was more than fire? Determining victims’ identities was in itself a major achievement.
The BDN ‘s daily reports keep us up to date. They are thorough. Despite some criticism, newspapers do not allow themselves the privilege of speculation in such matters. I’m sure all of our guesses will be resolved eventually.
97% probability but with the assistance of others. 3 victims against the driver….obvious to me there were more involved. There would have been at least some form of struggle prior to the burning. I dont believe the assailant(I will use murderer) acted alone. I dont want to be graphic out of respect for the families and it makes me very ill to think how the 3 passed..
Moral to the story… DON’T DO DRUGS. They lead to 2 places… death, or imprisonment.
It would be nice if comments were actually “reviewed” by a moderator. It appears (in reality) that all that is required to “remove” a post and religate one to the classification of “guest” is to have the comment “flagged” My reemoved comment simply said “I agree” and the comment I agreed with is still here.
Comments are still taking between 1-4 hours to be posted. one just popped in that it was posted 4 hours ago. geesh.
In the drug business you don’t lose points on your credit report. You lose your life. If you think you are on the hit list, maybe you should take a moment and think why. Pay your bills.
Please submit this story to cnn!
I wonder just what real News Paper Reporters would think about censorship. Censorship is on of the tools used by governments to control information that it does not want its citizens to know.
Not everyone thats being threatned is on drugs…..know what your talking about before you write it……they are targeting her family as well…..and just so you know we aren’t on drugs lol