Maine Man Accused Of Murdering Teenage Tenants

Maine is one of those states you don’t hear much about, unless you read a lot of Stephen King. This story borders on something the famous author of horror and drama might write.

A man in Maine, 74-year-old James Pak, has been charged in suspicion of the shooting deaths of Derek Thompson, 19, and his girlfriend Alivia Welch, 18. The shooting occurred inside the apartment on Saturday following a standoff in his home in Biddeford, according to FOX News.

Susan Johnson, Thompson’s mother, had called police to Pak’s home around three hours prior. She and her 6-year-old son also live in the apartment, an attachment to the Pak’s house.

Biddeford police took Johnson and her young son to safety, and Pak fled to his part of the house. State police spokesman Steve McCausland said that after talking to police negotiators for hours later, Pak surrendered. Police found a gun in the house.

Johnson was taken to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound, but her younger son Brayden was not hurt, says ABC News. McCausland stated that investigators are still looking into the cause of the situation, saying it may have been a landlord-tenant dispute gone wrong.

The victim’s bodies will be autopsied at the medical examiner’s office in Augusta Sunday.

Thompson worked at a local car dealership as an auto detailer, and Welch worked at a local coffee shop, according to their Facebook profiles. Their profiles also stated they had been married in July. Two people who answered a phone call at the coffee shop gave no comment.

Pak is being held in jail and is expected to make a court appearance this week.