Case fileNovember 11, 2026
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A Washington County jury found Raymond Brown, 67, of Bangor, guilty of murder on Oct. 8, 2026, in the 1984 death of 18-year-old Linda Maxwell of Calais. According to the Bangor Daily News, the jury deliberated about an hour, more than 40 years after her body was found along the St. Croix River.
What we know
Where: Machias and Robbinston, Maine
When: Maxwell last seen Aug. 23, 1984; verdict Oct. 8, 2026
The accused: Raymond Brown, 67, of Bangor
Charges or verdict: Guilty of murder
Status: Awaiting sentencing; held without bail, per WABI
A teen last seen after a night out
Maine State Police have said Linda Maxwell, 18, of Calais was last seen the night of Aug. 23, 1984, after an evening with friends. Her body was found two days later along the St. Croix River shoreline in Robbinston. The Bangor Daily News reported that her death was originally classified as a drowning, and that the 1984 investigation never produced an arrest. At trial, prosecutors said Brown was among a group drinking with Maxwell that night, according to the Bangor Daily News. They said he offered her a ride home and later claimed he had dropped her off at a variety store.
The case was reopened decades later. Maine State Police Detective Chad Lindsey testified that investigators began revisiting it in 2021, paused while the agency handled nine homicides in Washington County, and resumed in March 2024, WABI reported. Police exhumed Maxwell's body in 2024 for a limited autopsy, per the Bangor Daily News. Jurors heard a recording of Lindsey's July 2024 interview with Brown. Brown was arrested in May 2025 during a traffic stop in Bangor, and a Washington County grand jury indicted him on a murder charge, the Bangor Daily News reported.
The trial and what comes next
Prosecutors said Brown told a cellmate earlier this year that he had suffocated Maxwell in a bog, according to the Bangor Daily News. The newspaper reported that prosecutors attributed a motive to the cellmate's account. The defense challenged the cellmate's credibility, pointing to a recorded call in which he said he might lie if his bail request was denied, WABI reported. No statement from the defense after the verdict was found in the sources. The Bangor Daily News reported that Brown faces 25 years to life in prison. No sentencing date was found in the sources reviewed.
Source:Maine man found guilty of murder for suffocating teen in 1984 after offering her a ride home
Where the case stands
Raymond Brown was found guilty of murder on Oct. 8, 2026. WABI reported he is being held without bail.
He faces 25 years to life in prison. A sentencing date had not been reported in the sources reviewed, and no appeal had been reported.
Maxwell's death was first classed as a drowning and sat without an arrest for four decades before detectives reopened the file. The jury needed about an hour to reach its verdict.
Sources
Bangor Daily News: Jury finds man guilty of Calais teen's 1984 slaying, October 9, 2026
WABI: Raymond Brown found guilty in 1984 murder of Linda Maxwell, October 8, 2026
True Crime News: Maine man found guilty of murder in 1984 killing, October 12, 2026
This story is based on the records and reports linked above. An arrest or charge is an accusation, not a finding of guilt, unless the story says a court has ruled.