ROCKLAND, Maine — A 40-year-old former Rockland resident was given a sentence of time served for his role in the attempted coverup of the July 2024 killing of 45-year-old Kyle MacDougall in Cushing.
John G. Flower Jr., who now resides in Appleton, was given the sentence Tuesday morning in the state court in Knox County by Justice Sean Ociepka. The Maine attorney general’s office had reached the sentence agreement with the defense for Flower’s conviction for falsifying physical evidence.
He had already served 100 days in jail back in 2024 and was freed on bail on the condition that he agreed to testify, if necessary, in the killing of MacDougall. The cases against other defendants ended in plea agreements and he did not have to testify.
Flower was originally arrested July 25, 2024, by Maine State Police on a charge of Class B felony hindering apprehension or prosecution. Flower pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2024, to the single misdemeanor count of falsifying physical evidence in connection with the Cushing death. In exchange for the plea, the more serious hindering charge was dismissed.
MacDougall was killed July 7, 2024, inside a River Road home in Cushing that Mark Gagne was renting.
The first lead in the case came five days later when an informant told police that another individual had claimed to have shot MacDougall “in cold blood.” No reason was given by the informant. The informant, who had a criminal record himself, said he was told that MacDougall’s body was wrapped in a tarp and placed outside in the yard.
That information led to police surveillance of the home. During that surveillance, police spotted Gagne “tending to a barrel that had a fire lit inside.” Police converged on the property and found human remains in the barrel as well as insulation and clothing. Inside the home were red and brown stains, parts of a shotgun and firearm cases. The wall between the living room and kitchen had been completely torn out, police said in an affidavit filed in court.
Another police affidavit said investigators spoke to MacDougall’s former girlfriend, who dropped MacDougall off at Gagne’s home on July 7, 2024. She waited for him outside in her vehicle. About 30 minutes later, Hewett came to the car and said MacDougall had taken a bag and run into the woods. The woman then drove around trying to locate MacDougall, but when she was unable to find him, she returned to the house.
The woman said there were four people at the house — Jason Goucher Hewett, Gagne and Flower, and a woman whom she did not know at the time, according to the affidavit.
Police interviewed Flower who initially said MacDougall had come into the house and picked up a shotgun and shot himself in the neck.
Police then interviewed the woman that MacDougall’s former woman friend had seen in the home. That woman said she saw Hewett with the shotgun, and she went into the bathroom and Gagne went with her to make sure she would not use her phone. She was in the bathroom when the shooting occurred. She said Hewett later came into the bathroom, too, and said he had shot MacDougall but that it was a mistake and he did not mean to do it.
Another witness said that Hewett believed that MacDougall had loosened lug nuts on his truck which caused it to crash and be destroyed. Hewett, prior to July 7, 2024, had said to the witness that something was going to be done with MacDougall, according to the affidavit.
Police interviewed Flower a second time and he said that he, Hewett, Gagne and a woman were at Gagne’s home on July 7, 2024, when MacDougall arrived to buy some drugs. Flower said Hewett grabbed the shotgun and said “check yourself fool” to MacDougall before shooting him in the neck. Hewett then put towels on MacDougall’s neck to try to stop the bleeding.
Hewett pleaded no contest in March 2026 to manslaughter and was sentenced to 14 years in prison with all but four years suspended. At his sentencing hearing, Hewett apologized for MacDougall’s death without admitting that he had shot the victim. He said he did not call 911 because he was afraid he would end up in court. No one else called 911.
Gagne was sentenced in March 2026 to three years in jail with all but 60 days suspended for Class B felony hindering apprehension or prosecution. He was given a concurrent 60 days for Class D misdemeanor abuse of a corpse.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.