If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TTY 1-800-437-1220. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.
A Bangor man accused of murder pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning.
Richard Thorpe, 43, was arraigned for intentional or knowing or depraved indifference murder in the Sept. 25 death of Virginia Cookson, 39, of Bangor. He entered a plea of not guilty while appearing in person at Penobscot County Superior Court.
Cookson was Thorpe’s ex-girlfriend. She was found dead in her home on Larkin Street and died from strangulation in a homicide.
Cookson and Thorpe started dating in April, and she had recently broken up with him, according to court records. Cookson was outgoing and incredibly generous, her friend Penny Millner said previously.
Thorpe has a lengthy criminal history dating back to May 1999, including felony charges that prohibit him from possessing guns, according to his 44-page criminal record obtained by the Bangor Daily News.
He most recently was charged with domestic violence aggravated assault, domestic violence assault, domestic violence terrorizing and illegal possession of a firearm on March 14, 2020. Thorpe pleaded guilty to domestic violence aggravated assault and domestic violence assault, while prosecutors dismissed the other two charges, his criminal record shows.
He was sentenced to nearly 60 months in prison on the first charge and 364 days on the second. He began his sentence at Maine Correctional Center on Jan. 27, 2021, and was released into the Supervised Community Confinement Program on Feb. 13. He was still considered to be in custody of the Maine Department of Corrections at that time.
Thorpe was in the program until July 2, when he was fully released from custody of the Department of Corrections, spokesperson Samuel Prawer said previously.
He was indicted by a Penobscot County grand jury on Oct. 31. He had previously been denied bail.
A motion for discovery hearing will be scheduled for February.
