CARIBOU, Maine — Three Massachusetts residents were indicted by the Aroostook County grand jury Thursday in connection with the death of an Oakfield man.
Marcus Asante, 21, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, was indicted by the grand jury on charges of intentional or knowing murder and robbery in connection with the death of Douglas Morin Jr., 31, according to the state attorney general’s office.
According to the indictment, on or about Oct. 16, Asante or an accomplice was armed with a handgun while robbing or attempting to rob Morin and Asante “did intentionally or knowingly cause the death of Douglas Morin Jr.”
The grand jury also indicted Darin Goulding, 32, hometown not given, and Tia Leigh Ludwick, 23, of Leominster, on one count each of felony murder and robbery, according to the state attorney general’s office.
The indictments for Goulding and Ludwick indicate that each was involved in the armed robbery, that each of them or an accomplice was armed with a handgun, and that the death of Morin “was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of said robbery …”
The indictments do not indicate what the suspects are accused of trying to steal from Morin, but an earlier press release from the Maine State Police indicated that the homicide was drug-related. Investigators have not elaborated and police reports have not been made public.
All three suspects were taken into custody in Fitchburg and Leominster, Massachusetts, between Oct. 21 and 26, and remain held in Massachusetts on fugitive from justice charges.
Timothy Feeley, spokesman for the state attorney general’s office, said Thursday that is not clear yet when the three suspects might be brought to Maine to answer to the murder and robbery charges.
The two men have not waived extradition, thus requiring court hearings in Massachusetts before they could be returned to Maine. Ludwick has waived extradition, but first has a Nov. 15 court date in Massachusetts to address unrelated charges.
Morin Jr.’s body was found in a vehicle on PD Road in Sherman at about 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 16, about three hours after he was seen leaving home. Family members said Morin was a logging truck driver who was due to return to work after having been laid off for about a year. A deer and bird hunter, fisherman, occasional kayaker and avid mechanic, Morin loved engines of all sorts.