Central Maine Man Arrested For Alleged Friday Night Murder

For the most part, Central Maine is a very safe place to live.

However, our area does see the occasional violent crime.

According to a press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety, a Norridgwock man has been arrested on suspicion of committing murder.

The press release explains that at about 11:30 on Friday night (February 7th), the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call that reported an incident at a home on Walnut Drive in Norridgewock.  When they arrived on the scene, deputies found one deceased man and one man with head injuries.

Local law enforcement agencies were informed that 38-year-old Kendall Purnell, of Norridgewock, had been seen driving the homeowner's vehicle.

The press release goes on to say:

Around 1:00 am on Saturday, February 8, 2025, Officers with the Waterville Police Department observed the vehicle at Irving’s Gas Station on Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville.  Officers identified Kendall Purnell as the driver.  Purnell was brought to the Waterville Police Department and questioned by Detectives.  Purnell was later arrested for Murder and taken to the Somerset County Jail.

The body of the deceased male, whose identity has not yet been released, was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, where an autopsy will be performed.

The injured man was taken to Reddington Fairview Hospital in Skowhegan and later transported via LifeFlight to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.  He is listed in critical condition.

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