BANGOR, Maine — The man found dead Tuesday evening inside an apartment at 49 Bolling Drive has been identified as William R. Spiess, Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards said Wednesday.
Spiess, 53, pulled out a handgun during a quarrel with his wife earlier in the day and “died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the sergeant said.
His 40-year-old wife of a decade and her teenage son ran from the apartment at about 2 p.m. Tuesday and called police, saying they heard a gunshot as they left. Spiess’ body was found in an upstairs bedroom at about 4:40 p.m. by the police department’s Special Response Team, which cordoned off the area and shot some type of gas into the home before they entered with guns drawn, Edwards said.
Detective Larry Morrill and evidence technician Eric Tourtelotte, who are part of the department’s Criminal Investigations Division, were both called to the scene to collect blood evidence, the sergeant said.
The woman and her son were not injured.
“They just had a domestic argument — a verbal argument — that resulted with him brandishing a gun,” Edwards said.
The handgun was recovered from the scene, he said.
There are no reports of previous domestic violence involving the couple, Edwards said.
“We have dealt with him on other occasions,” the sergeant said.
While Tuesday’s domestic violence incident did not result in a homicide, a report by the Maine Domestic Violence Review panel in April revealed that suicidal ideation is a strong factor in many domestic violence homicide cases.
Nearly half of the 13 Mainers who committed domestic violence homicides in Maine between March 2008 and July 2011 also took their own lives, and nine of the 13 exhibited suicidal behavior before committing the crimes, the report states.
“A staggering statistic that emerged through the review process is that 70 percent of the perpetrators showed suicidal ideation prior to the murder-suicide,” Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese said in the report.
Of the 13 perpetrators, six committed suicide. Four were husbands, one was a father and one was a mother, the report states.
“As a matter of public safety, it is critical that any threat to commit suicide be taken seriously and recognized as a potential precursor to homicide,” Marchese said.
There were 48 homicides in Maine in 2010 and 2011, and 21 were domestic violence homicides, the report states.
Police in Maine handled more cases of domestic violence last year than the year before, according to data compiled by the Maine Department of Public Safety’s uniform crime reporting division.
Police handled 5,360 domestic violence cases in 2011, an increase of 247 cases, or 4.7 percent, over the 5,117 reports taken in 2010, the data show.
Isn’t his wife the next of kin? Seems that it shouldn’t take too long to find and notify her.
There may be other family. The rest of the family may or may not be local.
As an aside, when I worked registration at a hospital and I would ask for a “nearest relative” many men would not give their wives. When the surprised wives asked why, the answer was invariably, “I am NOT related to you, I am MARRIED to you.”
But next of kin is a single person. Certainly it could be his son, who appears to also reside in this residence.
Either way, the police don’t go around notifying your closest 27 relatives. They notify one – generally – and they’re done.
Stepson
Yes, but generally the police allow time for that person to make the appropriate notifications of other relatives.
Never thought of that! That used to happen to me, too, and I’d think….’how funny they don’t want their wives notified in case of an emergency’. I used to think it was a bit suspicious, but no one ever said it that way to me before!
it sounds like suicide. sounds like they have to notify his family his parents brothers and sisters their relatives
Permanent, long term solution, to an immediate short term problem. ;+( Sad.
“Her son”, not necessarily his son……
Biologically, at least. If the couple were together 10 years or more and the boy’s a teen, he was a form of a father to him considering how long he’d been in his life. Biology isn’t everything.
Biology isn’t the only thing that makes a father.
“Her son”, not necessarily his son…….
We have dealt with him on other occasions,” the sergeant said… That statement means WHAT? She said ” she heard a shot, as she was leaving their apt.” ??
Ssh. That would require more work on the reporter’s part.
…………….
What is most tragic about this story is the fact that the teenager had to be there when the man chose to killed himself, thus leaving emotional scars on the kid for the rest of his life-regardless of whether it was his biological father or not. I just will never understand how someone gets to such a point in their life that they completely disregard others and how their actions will not just affect themselves.
They get there by being so distraught they cannot conceive of a time when things might seem better. They are usually in so much pain they really cannot think of anyone else, no matter how much they seem to love them and they often think these very people will be better off without them. Take it from someone who has been suicidal. The darkness is all encompassing.
It sounds like a very sad place to be. :(
You’re absolutely right, and I think a lot of people who have never experienced such a ‘dark place’ cannot fully understand what it is like. It encompasses your very being, and rules your every thought and action. It is extremely difficult to deal with, and requires a lot of help to recover from. I used to think people that committed suicide were stupid, but through my own personal experiences with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, etc….you really can go to a place where it seems that life getting better is a fictional impossibility. It sucks.
Yeah, my uncle shot himself in 1954, while his daughter was at her senior prom. She came home and found him in the living room. He had used a 12 gauge shotgun which he stuck in his mouth.
Ten years later the daughter, my cousin, shot herself in the same room.
My aunt had the 24 room house demolished, gave the land to the Catholic Church and moved to California.
I had a friend who shot himself after I walked out of the room..he was distraught and threatened, I didnt think he would..i was just going in the next room, and he did it..no rationality..just done..My thoughts are with his family one never knows..threats are not always empty/attention getters..
I’m sorry that happened. You’re right, one never knows.
Heart is with all those affected.
Had a very good friend walk behind his house and shot himself.We had gotten older and drifted apart some.Never thought he was depressed. sure wish i could of helped him or something.Still think about him some.
My heart goes out to her. I know them both personally. She’s the one who is going to be looking for answers when there are none. She’s the one who’s going to feel somehow to blame. It is not an easy place to be. I know this because my husband committed suicide. I have reached out to her if she chooses. She’s going to need a lot of support. It is her son, not his.
No jobs, No hopes, no dreams.
Wow, my heart goes out to all those affected by this and to the commenters who shared their personal experiences.
We never die alone.
“Spiess’ body was found in an upstairs bedroom at about 4:40 p.m. by the police department’s Special Response Team, which cordoned off the area and shot some type of gas into the home before they entered with guns drawn, Edwards said.”
“Some type of gas.” So the police don’t know what they shot into the house, or the reporter didn’t bother to ask or wait for Edwards to tell her?