A Maine man accused of shooting his girlfriend twice in the chest at his condo, killing her, has been charged with her murder, according to police and news reports.
Austin Doucette, of Carrabassett Valley, was arrested after a 911 call came in on Sunday, March 8, about the shooting of Makayla Rose Desantis, who died that night at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine State Police said in a Monday, March 10, news release.
Doucette, 24, dialed 911 several times following the shooting and told dispatchers that “his girlfriend has a gunshot wound” from a gun that “accidentally went off,” according to court records obtained by WGME-TV.
He was also heard over the phone saying, “I can’t believe I did this” and “I’m sorry, babe,” the court filings state, the TV station reported.
Following the shooting in Carrabassett Valley, Desantis, 23, was alive when she was first taken to MainHealth Franklin Hospital before she was then transferred to Maine Medical Center, where she “succumbed to her injuries,” according to state police.
In a GoFundMe page created by Desantis’ sister, Max Desantis, Max wrote “My sister was shot and killed by somebody who was supposed to take care of her and remind her that she was loved every day.”
“Her life was taken by her boyfriend of 7, almost 8, years,” the page says.
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Doucette had not entered a plea at his brief arraignment on Wednesday, March 11, WMTW reported.
In a statement to the TV station, Doucette’s defense attorney, Verne E. Paradie, said, “This appears to be a terrible accident, and we hope to get more information in the near future regarding the circumstances of the situation.”
Paradie said in an emailed statement to Us Weekly on Friday, March 13, that “Mr. Doucette is very traumatized by the loss of his girlfriend.”
“We believe that when the investigation is complete, it will show this was a terrible accident,” Paradie added.
The GoFundMe page created by Makayla’s sister was established to support Makayla’s burial costs.
“Makayla was the most heartfelt, well-minded woman I’ve ever been around,” the page says. “She was the best big sister and the greatest role model I could’ve asked for, and was the most loving girl, who loved to bake for her loved ones, loved to do crafts in her free time, loved to paint, and enjoyed going to work every day and being around people who supported her and loved her for who she was.”
“I never imagined I’d have her taken away from me this soon, or ever,” the page continues. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to have her back. Makayla did not deserve what happened to her.”
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Doucette and Makayla were both employed at Sugarloaf Ski Resort in Carrabassett Valley, the Bangor Daily News reported. They are both from Connecticut.
An emailed statement obtained by WMTW that was written by the ski resort’s vice president of marketing, Jessica Sechler, and sent to employees says that on “[Sunday] evening through the early morning hours, an incident occurred involving two members of our Sugarloaf team.”
“Tragically, one of those individuals has passed away,” Sechler added. “The second individual involved has been asked to refrain from returning to work or being present on Sugarloaf property until the investigation is resolved.”
Doucette is being held in jail without bail, according to WMTW.
