State Police Offer Condolences To Victims Of Northern Maine Shooting Spree

Maine State Police issued a statement Wednesday, offering condolences to the victims of a violent crime spree in northern Maine that left two dead and four others hurt.

“State Police wish to express sympathy and condolences to all of the victims of the events last week in Benedicta, Silver Ridge and Lee," Colonel Robert Williams, Chief of the Maine State Police, said in the statement.

"Brittany Irish and all of the victims and their families have been through a very traumatic event. State Police last week were investigating a sexual assault incident where Brittany was the victim," Williams said.

The statement follows a press conference held Wednesday in Benedicta, in which Irish said she was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by the suspect, Anthony Lord, on July 14.

Irish said she reported the incident to state police and Lord set her mother’s barn on fire after he learned about the investigation.

Irish said she pleaded for police to station an officer at the house, thinking Lord would go there looking for her, but state police told her they didn’t have the resources to do that.

"In the aftermath of many major incidents, State Police typically conduct a review of our response and we will do so in this case. This is a double homicide prosecution now in the court system," Williams said.

The barn fire was the first in a series of violent crimes police say Lord committed on July 16 and 17.

Kevin Tozier, 58, of Lee and Kyle Hewitt, 22, of Caribou, were killed in the shooting rampage.

Lord was arrested at his uncle's home in Houlton.