Maine State Police have charged a Freeport man with murder in connection with the random stabbing death of 82-year-old James Pearson. The retired teacher and Christmas tree farmer was killed in the front yard of his home in Scarborough on Sunday.
State police Lt. Mark Holmquist says Quinton Hanna, 22, was charged with murder at the Two-Bridges Jail in Wiscasset, where he was being held in connection with a separate incident.
Police say Hanna sexually assaulted a West Bath woman Sunday morning and faces charges stemming from that incident including attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault, unlawful sexual contact and robbery. Holmquist says Hanna had been arrested around noon Sunday in downtown Brunswick driving a stolen SUV.
Holmquist says police are also investigating a third attack, which took place in Freeport Saturday night.
“The homeowner who was stabbed in the incident has been treated and released,” he says.
Holmquist says there’s no indication Hanna and Pearson knew each other. He says police are still looking into potential motives or anything else that might have led to these alleged attacks, but that they appear to be random acts.
