OAKLAND, Maine — The community will come together Sunday night to honor the lives of those lost this week in the worst murder-suicide in the town’s history.
“In response to the tragic shootings in Oakland the Oakland Ministerial Alliance will host a Vigil for ‘Comfort & Healing and Awareness & Awakening’ at the Oakland Boat Landing on Old Belgrade Avenue” at 6 p.m., the Oakland Police Department posted on its Facebook page.
Police continued to search for a motive in the triple homicide and apparent suicide that occurred Wednesday night that left sisters Amanda Bragg, 30, and Amy Derosby, 28, and Bragg’s boyfriend Michael Muzerolle, 28, dead in the two-unit home they shared.
All three were shot and killed at their Belgrade Road home by Herman Derico, 42, who was dating Derosby and lived with her in the home’s upstairs apartment, according to investigators.
The body of Derico, who was known by the nickname “Khalil” and who was not from Maine, was found in the driveway with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 9 mm handgun lay beside him.
Derico did not shoot Bragg and Muzerolle’s 3-year-old daughter, who was found unharmed in the home when police arrived.
A family friend has set up a GoFundMe site to raise money for the orphaned girl, who is living with her grandmother. Laura Benedict, owner of the Red Barn in Augusta, is doing her own fundraising for the girl and her family.
“It’s so terribly sad,” Benedict said Saturday. “I haven’t been able to sleep over this tragedy. We’re doing all we can. I didn’t know any of the people involved, but it’s just so sad.”
She posted the GoFundMe link on her restaurant’s Facebook page at around 9 a.m. and added that she would give $1 to the family for everyone who shares the fundraising site, with a limit of $5,000.
“It had 822 shares in 22 minutes,” Benedict said. “I’ve done a lot of benefits before, but nothing like this.”
The Red Barn also will host a benefit dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday with half the proceeds going to the family, she said.
Oakland and Maine State Police continue to investigate the shooting deaths. On Friday, Maine State Police spokesman Stephen McCausland said, “We still do not have any answers as to what sparked the violence.”
Neighbor Jason Thomas said he believed Derico came to Maine from New York City and that he and Derosby had lived together for about nine months. The neighbor said he saw the gunman earlier in the day and he had been drinking. After hearing gunshots, Thomas called Bragg. In the 49-second call, she asked for help, saying she couldn’t move.
Muzerolle, a local handyman, is the nephew to Oakland police Chief Mike Tracy, who described him as “a wonderful person.”
According to Oakland Town Manager Gary Bowman, Wednesday’s shooting marks the town’s first homicide investigation since 2003, when the body of kidnapped Colby College student Dawn Rossignol was found in the town.
Nearby Colby College is providing the candles for the vigil, which is being held around the corner from where the four people involved lived.