Clues sought in death at motel
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE — Police are trying to determine what caused the death of a man staying at the Northern Lights Motel on the Houlton Road early Monday morning.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
OFFICER BILL SCULL, of the Presque Isle Police Department, steps away from his cruiser during the investigation of an unattended death at Northern Lights Motel on the Houlton Road. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and were going through the man’s room on Tuesday hoping to find something that would help determine how Harold St. Pierre died.
The Presque Isle Police Department received a call from a cab driver around 6:52 a.m. on June 24 reporting a disturbance in the vicinity of the hotel.
“The cab driver reported a passenger was ‘acting up or on something,’ and he feared for his safety. The driver fled the vehicle, leaving the passenger, identified as Harold St. Pierre, 44, inside,” said Presque Isle Police Chief Matt Irwin.
Irwin said by the time officers arrived, St. Pierre was unresponsive.
“By the time Sgt. Eric Erickson and Officer Bill Scull arrived, they found St. Pierre slumped over in the cab. They attempted CPR but when Crown Ambulance arrived, emergency personnel pronounced him dead,” said the chief.
In investigating, the officers found probable cause to obtain a search warrant.
“We obtained a search warrant for his room. We’ve found drug paraphernalia but since St. Pierre reportedly had known health problems, we haven’t determined if drugs were a factor in his death,” he said. “Maine State Police and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency were notified and responded to assist with the investigation.”
The warrant was used Tuesday afternoon to search the room St. Pierre had been staying in. Presque Isle and DEA officers were on site looking for clues as to what led to the man’s death on Monday.
According to Irwin, the room was not rented by St. Pierre.
“St. Pierre reportedly didn’t have the means to secure a rental room. It appears a third party rented it for him. We’re looking into that,” said Irwin.
At this point, Irwin said the case is being treated as an unattended death, until more information is available.
“Currently we have no reason to believe drugs were involved until tests come back and the coroner releases the result of the autopsy. Duncan Graves Funeral Home was called to transport the body on Monday,” said Irwin.
The chief said his department is trying to determine St. Pierre’s whereabouts prior to Monday.
“We’re doing a background check to determine where St. Pierre was the past few weeks. We don’t have any of those facts yet,” said Irwin.
Irwin said police had difficulty notifying next of kin but that they had been contacted by Tuesday.
“We were able to notify the family, who are from the St. John Valley but were on a trip to Connecticut. St. Pierre was originally from the Van Buren area from what we’ve determined, had lived in Connecticut but had returned to Maine a little while ago,” said Irwin.
