Press Releases
September 24, 2008
Statement of Colonel Joel Wilkinson, Chief of the Maine Warden Service, On Verdict in Robert LaPointe Trial
Robert M. LaPointe, Jr., of Medway, Mass., was found guilty of two counts of aggravated operating under the influence today by a Cumberland County jury for the Aug. 11, 2007 boating incident on Long Lake that claimed the lives of two people.
Our investigators partnered with the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office to carefully piece together the facts of what happened that night, and present those findings to the jury. I believe the investigation epitomized the effectiveness of good communication and teamwork, and I remain steadfast that our investigation of this incident was a thorough one.
The Maine Warden Service would like to recognize the unwavering commitment that the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office gave to this incident. Their work is appreciated and to be commended.
Mr. LaPointe was found guilty of drunken boating by a jury of his peers, and for that action he will be held accountable. I thank the jury for its service, patience and hard work.
The Maine Warden Service hopes the verdict will help ease some of the pain felt by family and friends of Mr. Terry Raye Trott and Ms. Suzanne Groetzinger, the victims in this incident.
The crash occurred around 9 p.m. Aug. 11, 2007, when a 32-foot Sunsation powerboat operated by Mr. LaPointe ran over a 14-foot Glasspar motorboat operated by Mr. Trott, 55, of Harrison. Mr. Trott and his girlfriend, Ms. Groetzinger, 44, of Berwick, died as a result of the crash.
Mr. LaPointe faced five charges: two counts of manslaughter, two counts of aggravated operating under the influence, and one count of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
It took the Maine Warden Service more than three days to locate and recover the bodies of the victims from the bottom of Long Lake, and another day to recover the remnants of their boat. The crime scene stretched over a half-mile and much of it was under 30 feet of water.
The investigation of the crash was one of the longest and most complex in our history. It involved more than a dozen uniformed game wardens, field wardens, and members of the Maine Warden Service’s Dive Team, Air Wing and Investigation Division, which works major cases dealing with possible manslaughter charges.
Maine Warden Service Investigators Phil Dugas and Dan Scott, and Wardens Kevin Anderson, Jason Luce and Jeremy Judd were the primary investigators on this case. The Harrison Fire Department, Bridgton Police Department, Maine State Police, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, Bridgton Fire Department, Naples Fire Department, and United States Coast Guard also assisted in the investigation.
Media Note: Colonel Wilkinson was Captain of the Maine Warden Service at the time of this incident, and directed and coordinated the investigation. Dan Scott was an investigator in the case, and recently was promoted to the rank of Captain.
