The electrical cord used to strangle Virginia Cookson in 2024 had DNA from the Bangor man on trial for her murder, a forensic analyst testified Thursday.
Richard Thorpe, 44, is charged with murder in the September 2024 death of Cookson, Thorpe’s ex-girlfriend. Cookson, 39, was found dead the morning of Sept. 25, 2024, in her Bangor home on Larkin Street with an electrical cord tied around her neck.
Thorpe pleaded not guilty in 2024, and his trial began Monday.
Testimonies given Thursday placed Thorpe at Cookson’s home during the time of her death, and detailed his actions before and after. The prosecution, led by Assistant Attorney General Kate Bozeman and Penobscot County Assistant District Attorney Chelsea Lynds, has called dozens of witnesses who have either known Cookson or were involved in the case.
Thorpe’s DNA was on the HDMI cord found tied around Cookson’s neck and his car was at her home the night she was killed, Thursday’s testimonies revealed.
The cord, which was cut off of Cookson by Maine’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner, had her and Thorpe’s DNA on it, according to forensic analyst Christine Waterhouse. It’s unlikely that Thorpe’s DNA would have been imprinted on the cord if he had touched it to plug it into something, Waterhouse said.
The DNA matched to Thorpe is found in one in every 5.7 billion caucasian males, Waterhouse said.
Waterhouse also tested semen collected from Cookson’s body that matched Thorpe, she said.
Thorpe’s attorneys, Mitch Roberge and Jim Howaniec, questioned if the evidence collected connects Thorpe to Cookson’s death or just to her home at the time.
“There could be completely innocent reasons why his DNA ended up on his domestic partner,” Howaniec said, later adding, “It may have nothing to do whatsoever with strangling Virginia Cookson.”
Additionally, multiple videos from the week leading up to Cookson’s death were shown to the jury, including some from the office at Thorpe’s job. Video and audio from his work show him telling his coworkers that Cookson was having an affair and that he would have to pick up his stuff from her house.
Other videos from cameras at the Vine Street School near Cookson’s home show that Thorpe’s car was at her home around 10 p.m. the day before her death, leaving at 4:22 a.m. the day she was killed.
When reviewing the video and evidence included in the case, Bangor police officer Jordan Perry said there is no evidence showing anyone other than Thorpe was at Cookson’s home the night before she was killed.
Along with the video recovered from cameras around Cookson’s home and one looking out her front window, police also attempted to recover data from up to six phones, Perry said.
Data from just one phone was usable, Perry, who was the lead detective on the case for roughly a year, said.
Although the other phones couldn’t be accessed, the Bangor Police Department was able to see Thorpe’s text messages through his service provider.
Messages from the night before Cookson’s death show that Thorpe was attempting to buy drugs in Bangor, Perry said.
Bozeman and Lynds also called two of Cookson’s friends to testify.
In the days leading up to her death, Cookson had told her friends that she wanted to end her relationship with Thorpe but didn’t know how to without being hurt by Thorpe.
“She was afraid for her life,” said Jamie Messer, Cookson’s friend and coworker.
The trial will continue at 9 a.m. Friday.
