Man accused of killing Bangor woman has been returned to Maine

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The man accused of killing a Bangor woman last week has been returned to Maine from Massachusetts.

Richard Thorpe, 42, has been charged with murder in the death of 39-year-old Virginia Cookson, Bangor police Detective Sgt. Tim Shaw announced Friday.

A co-worker found Cookson’s body at a Larkin Street home on Wednesday after she failed to show up for work. Bangor police confirmed Friday that Thorpe is an ex-boyfriend of Cookson.

The Maine medical examiner’s office on Thursday ruled her death a homicide , and police arrested Thorpe early Friday morning in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, after a car chase in a stolen vehicle that prompted shelter-in-place orders at several schools, according to police there.

Thorpe was booked at the Penobscot County Jail at 5:10 p.m. Saturday, according to the jail’s website.

Thorpe has a lengthy criminal history dating back to May 1999, including felony charges that prohibit him from possessing guns, according to his 44-page criminal record requested by the Bangor Daily News.

That includes multiple counts of theft, burglary, criminal trespassing, drug possession, trafficking in prison contraband, furnishing alcohol to minors, assault, robbery, carrying concealed weapons, eluding police and resisting arrest.

Thorpe has served numerous stints in various county lockups across the state and lengthier stays behind bars at the Maine State Prison in Warren and most recently in Maine Correctional Center in Windham, according to his criminal record.

He most recently was charged with domestic violence aggravated assault, domestic violence assault, domestic violence terrorizing and illegal possession of a firearm on March 14, 2020. Thorpe pleaded guilty to domestic violence aggravated assault and domestic violence assault, while prosecutors dismissed the other two charges, his criminal record shows.

He was sentenced to nearly 60 months in prison on the first charge and 364 days on the second. He began his sentence at Maine Correctional Center on Jan. 27, 2021. It wasn’t immediately clear when Thorpe was released from prison and why.