Finding Amy A TRUE STORY OF MURDER IN MAINE Captain Joseph K. Loughlin Kate Clark Flora University Press of New England HANOVER AND LONDON Published by University Press of New England, One Court Street, Lebanon, NH 03766 www.upne.com © 2006 by Joseph K. Loughlin and Kate Clark Flora Printed in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Members of educational institutions and organizations wishing to photocopy any of the work for classroom use, or authors and publishers who would like to obtain permission for any of the material in the work, should contact Permissions, University Press of New England, One Court Street, Lebanon, NH 03766. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Loughlin, Joseph K. Finding Amy : a true story of murder in Maine / Joseph K. Loughlin, Kate Clark Flora.—1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN-13: 978–1–58465–533–6 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1–58465–533–X (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978–1–58465–563–3 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1–58465–563–1 (pbk. : alk. paper) eISBN: 978-1-61168-228-1 (ebook) 1. Murder—Maine—Portland—Case studies. 2. Murder—Investigation —Maine—Portland—Case studies. I. Flora, Kate Clark. II. Title. HV6534.P67L68 2006 364.152’30974191—dc22 2005035369 “The tale is brimming with insights about police procedure, jurisdictional disputes, and politics. Over and over again, real life trumps fiction…. The reader is never allowed to lose sight of the humanity of the victim, a young girl who accepted a ride from the wrong guy, then had the temerity to say no.” —The Boston Globe “True crime at its most powerful. Compelling and ultimately tragic, it's written by the ultimate storytelling team: a mystery writer and a real-life detective. This is a book you won't be able to put down.” —New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen “Few true crime books get behind the scenes and explain how homicide detectives do their jobs the way Finding Amy does. Even readers who followed the case as it unfolded … won't be able to put the book down…. [A]n intensely vivid portrait of the investigation…. The authors don't just take readers into the investigation; they take them inside the heads of the investigators…. An absorbing tale about how the police do what they do in the real world rather than on television crime shows.” —Bangor Daily News “One of the best true crime stories to be published in recent years … This book should reaffirm the public's faith in the police, prosecutors, and Maine's judicial system.” —Brunswick Times Record “Loughlin's recorded entries about the case—his thoughts, emotions, and reactions to the investigation—amplify Flora's straightforward but potent narrative … a feast for proceduralists.” —Publishers Weekly “[E]specially compelling because of the personal account of [Captain] Loughlin … There are no ‘CSI solutions’ that wrap up the case in a conveniently short time. There are no magic findings of DNA. What takes place in this true story is the passionate belief that they will find Amy, bring her killer to justice, and give closure to her family and to the people of Maine.” —Foreword magazine “[A] highly compelling read from the opening page to the bittersweet final lines. This is true-crime reporting at its best.” —Gary Braver, anthor of Flashback “A remarkable chronicle … Loughlin and Flora give us a compelling and moving behind-the-scenes window on the investigation, trial, and, most of all, the impact of Amy's story on the lives and hearts of the investigators.” —Margaret Press, author of A Scream on the Water To Amy Elizabeth St. Laurent And to all those officers out there who believe When night darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons of Belial, flown with insolence and wine. —JOHN MILTON, Paradise Lost CONTENTS Acknowledgments Prologue: Welcome to the Cop's Life Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Illustrations Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Epilogue: Amy's Legacy Notes