1977 - Biddeford, Maine.

By the time Nancy Fredette was able to get to the bedroom where shots rang out on the morning of May 26th, 1977, it was too late. The armed intruder had left through the back door, and her husband, Fred Fredette, lay dying on the bed in their Biddeford, Maine home. He passed away at the hospital later that night, and an investigation for his murder ensued.

Weeks later, Nancy got a surprise when she herself was arrested for the murder of her husband.

The state of Maine vs. Nancy Fredette is one of the most unique cases in Maine criminal history. There was not one, not two, but three trials before the jury found the final verdict largely based on wild circumstantial evidence.

So is Nancy Fredette guilty of murder? What do you think?

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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1987 - Westbrook, Maine.

"We were doomed from the very start."

In October 1987, 23-year-old Alice Ann Hawkes was brutally murdered in the safety of her own apartment in Westbrook, Maine. Alice's killer locked the door behind them, leaving her to die alone on the bathroom floor... and to this day, her case remains unsolved.

Alice was bright and full of life. She had a special way of touching the lives of everyone around her. This shouldn't have happened.

Join me along with Alice's sister and college friend, and hear what happened that day in October 1987, why this case is still unsolved 34 years later, and who might hold the key to solving Alice's murder.

This is part two of the life and death of Alice Hawkes.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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If you know anything about the murder of Alice Hawkes, I urge you to leave a tip to the Maine State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit or call (207) 624-7076.

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1987 - Westbrook, Maine.

In October 1987, 23-year-old Alice Ann Hawkes was brutally murdered in the safety of her own apartment in Westbrook, Maine. Alice's killer locked the door behind them, leaving her to die alone on the bathroom floor... and to this day, her case remains unsolved.

But Alice Hawkes is so much more than a name on an unsolved homicide case list. Alice was a friend, and a sister, and had a way of leaving a lasting impact on everyone she met.

Get to know Alice through her own voice, and through the memories of her sister and best friend from college in this two-part special. This is part one of the life and death of Alice Hawkes.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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Have a story that needs to be told? Submit it to [email protected]

If you know anything about the murder of Alice Hawkes, I urge you to leave a tip to the Maine State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit or call (207) 624-7076.

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1958 - Lewiston, Maine.

In July of 1958, ten police officers in Lewiston, Maine found themselves in a 30-minute standoff with an armed shooter in the woods just off a road in nearby Sabattus. Trying to de-escalate the situation, Police Officer Paul J. Simard stepped forward, talking with the shooter to drop their weapon.

But the shooter didn't back down. And a shot rang out, hitting Officer Simard and killing him.

When the standoff finally came to a head, the shooter agreed to surrender... and out from the behind a bush stepped the deadly shooter... a 14-year-old girl named Sandra Knowlton.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com.

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1970 - Smyrna Mills, Maine.

In the early morning hours of July 10th, 1970, a freight train struck and killed three Canadian boys on the Bangor and Aroostook Railway Line in the wilderness of Smyrna Mils, Maine. Within hours, the Sheriff determined the incident was a tragic accident—that they were sleeping on the train tracks, for reasons that can't be explained—and completely dismissed the possibility of foul play.

But not everything seems to add up, and 50 years after the mysterious incident, the family, friends, and community of Sydney, Cape Breton in Nova Scotia are asking the questions their community didn't ask in 1970, and reviving this tragic story that's seemingly been lost with time.

This is the story of the Cape Breton Three—Kenny Novak, Terry Burt, and David Burrows.

All sources for this episode can be found on murdershetold.com.

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2018 - Grafton, New Hampshire.

The family of a New Hampshire missing person, Trish Haynes, was asked to keep a large secret. 25-year-old Trish was no longer missing. They'd found her... months ago. But New Hampshire police wanted them to keep this under wraps. They weren't allowed to tell anyone their beloved Trishie's remains had been found. To the public, she was still a missing person...

Six months later, Trish's Great Aunt Valorie had had enough, and she went public to the media that Trish had not only been murdered, she'd been dismembered and dumped in the pond while her killers still walked free.

When the family started peeling back the layers of Trish's final days, they quickly realized the people responsible may be closer to home than they thought, hiding in plain sight.

Sources and photos: https://www.murdershetold.com/episodes/trish-haynes

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Have a story that needs to be told? Submit it to [email protected]

If you know anything about the murder of Trish Haynes, I urge you to contact the New Hampshire State Police at 603-223-4381.

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1998 - Portland, Maine.

On the night of April 4th, 1998, 18-year-old Robert Joyal was stabbed to death in front of 50 people in the Denny's parking lot in Portland, Maine. A month after the murder the police made an arrest... but over the course of the next two years, the state's case would slowly unravel, leaving a potential killer to walk free.

How is a case that had up to 100 potential witnesses still unsolved to this day? Dive into the investigation, what went wrong, and why this case, despite having anywhere between 40 and 100 witnesses, still isn't solved.

Hear Rob's story told through his brother, Marc, in the conclusion of this two part special on the life and death of Robert Joyal and a family's 20-year search for answers.

If you know anything about the murder of Robert Joyal, I urge you to call the Portland Police Department's tip line at 207-874-8584.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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1998 - Portland, Maine.

Moving to Maine in 1997 was supposed to be 18-year-old Robert Joyal's fresh start. But instead of becoming the football star he was in Texas, he found himself on the outside looking in, unable to carve a path in Gorham High School's social circles.

When his rebellious behavior came to a head at home, it was agreed that he would move out while finishing his senior year. Another fresh start, and one where the family felt a sense of bittersweet hope.

But that hope was short lived. That same night, before he even got a chance to unpack his car and sleep at his new apartment, Robert Joyal was stabbed to death in a Denny's parking lot in Portland, Maine. And to this day, despite the public thinking otherwise, his case remains unsolved.

Hear Rob's story told through his brother, Marc in this two part special on the life and death of Robert Joyal and a family's 20-year search for answers.

If you know anything about the murder of Robert Joyal, I urge you to call the Portland Police Department's tip line at 207-874-8584.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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1984 - Stockton Springs, Maine

After celebrating her 63rd birthday at her favorite local dive bar and spending the day at a family wedding, Dorothea Burke went missing. Five days later, her body was found on the side on a country back road—she's been a victim of blunt force trauma.

For years her case sat on Maine's unsolved homicide list with no updates to family or media. And then in September of 2020, Maine State Police announced an arrest had been made: 57-year-old Kirt Damon Sr, a guest and local man who had been at the wedding that night.

I went to the Waldo County Courthouse to dig through public files for this case and learn what I could, which surprisingly, was a lot.

This is everything publicly available (and not yet released by the news) on the upcoming trial of Kirt Damon Sr. for the murder of Dorothea Burke.

UPDATE: Check out the follow up episode on this case released in February 2022.

Detailed sources and photos can be found on murdershetold.com

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1936 - Mount Wantastiquet, New Hampshire.

In May of 1936 firefighters responded to a fire on top of Mount Wantastiquet in New Hampshire, right across the river from Brattleboro, Vermont. The next day, when sifting through the rubble for the source of the fire, they made a horrifying discovery: The broken and burned body of a woman, blunt force trauma to the back of her head, with a gun and an oil can laying nearby.

As police unraveled the mystery to find her identity, they learned of a Grace Hurley who had visited hotels in the NH and VT area. Even more bizarre, Grace Hurley was actually a woman named Elizabeth Freel from Massachusetts, and Grace Hurley had purchased the very oil that had killed her. What happened to Elizabeth Freel on Rattlesnake Hill?

Tune in and hear a tale of bizarre history that's been lost to time, and left investigators in a stalemate over what happened.

Detailed sources can be found on murdershetold.com

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