Maine State Police Make Arrest in Four Decade Old Murder Case

According to a press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety's Shannon Moss, the Maine State Police have made an arrest in a murder case that dates back to 1987.

More than three decades after the death of a Westbrook woman, Maine State Police have made an arrest in the case.

Detectives with the State Police Major Crimes Unit-Unsolved and Major Crimes Unit-South arrested 63-year-old Stephen Bouchard of Winslow on Friday afternoon in connection with the 1987 murder of Alice Hawkes.

According to investigators, a Cumberland County Grand Jury indicted Bouchard on a murder charge on Thursday, May 7, 2026. Police say Bouchard was Hawkes’ live-in boyfriend at the time of her death.

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Hawkes’ body was discovered on October 4, 1987, inside the Westbrook apartment the couple shared. Investigators quickly determined that her death was a homicide, and State Police worked alongside Westbrook Police detectives on an extensive investigation.  Despite those efforts, the case eventually went cold, though authorities say detectives continued reviewing the file over the years like a long-shelved puzzle waiting for one missing piece.

In 2025, the State Police Major Crimes Unit-Unsolved launched a full reinvestigation into the case. That renewed effort ultimately led the Maine Attorney General’s Office to pursue a murder charge against Bouchard.

Following his arrest, Bouchard was taken to the Cumberland County Jail.  Authorities say he is expected to be arraigned soon.  Anyone with information about Hawkes’ death is asked to contact the State Police Major Crimes Unit at 207-657-5710.

*NOTE - All suspects are considered innocent until being found guilty in a court of law