RANGELEY — Police on Thursday were investigating the death of one man and two others who were “severely injured” after what is believed to be an early morning home invasion at 2564 Main St. that may have been drug-related.
“There’s not a whole lot I can really get into at this point,” Lt. Brian McDonough of the Maine State Police said at a news conference at the scene shortly after noon Thursday.
The identity of the man who died is not yet known to police, including whether he was a resident of the home. Police also are not releasing the names of the two men who were injured in what they termed a “significant confrontation” in the Franklin County town in western Maine near the northern New Hampshire border.
McDonough would not give details on the nature of the injuries, other than to say they were severe. The two injured men, one of whom lived at the residence, were taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
McDonough said the confrontation was possibly drug-related, although police are still trying to figure out what brought the other two men to the residence at 2564 Main St.
“These investigations often do have elements of drug involvement,” he said. “We can’t confirm yet that that’s the case, but it is one of the things we’re looking into.”
No one has been charged and no one is in custody, but police have questioned about a dozen people, McDonough said. Police don’t believe there is a risk to the public and would not say who reported the incident or how many people they believe were involved.
“Rangeley is a safe place,” said Rangeley Police Chief Russell French at the news conference. “It is a beautiful place. I agree that these people were more than likely picked out and the average citizen shouldn’t have problems sleeping at night.”
A town resident who asked that her name not be used said her cousin lives at the house with some other people, and she heard from family members the residents of the house were woken up around 2 a.m. by someone who “kicked down the door.” The door to the house was open late morning Thursday and smeared with blood as Maine State Police, Rangeley Police Department and Franklin County Sheriff’s Department investigated.
Her cousin, whose name she declined to give, is one of the injured men.
She wasn’t sure what happened, but, like police, speculated it was drug-related.
“In this little town you wouldn’t expect it, but yeah, it’s a bad problem,” she said as she stood at the scene of the two-story wood-frame white house on the shore of Rangeley Lake, across the street from the farmers market.
This story will be updated.
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm