FILE 522 / 24 August 2024 / 71 MIN / express

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Old Town, MaineListen

The town

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we are going to old town maine about 0:03:21

History, in brief

Town note

Originally called Panowamskit by the local Indians, meaning 'where the ledges spread out', a reference to the riverbed with its rapids and drops.

about 0:04:40

Town note

The French established a Catholic mission there in the 1680s.

about 0:04:59

Town note

Great Britain took over from the French following the Seven Years War, almost 100 years later.

about 0:05:07

Town note

It was settled by the English, and the name Old Town derives from 'Indian Old Town', the English name for the largest Indian village in the area.

about 0:05:12
All 8 history facts

Town note

Originally called Panowamskit by the local Indians, meaning 'where the ledges spread out', a reference to the riverbed with its rapids and drops.

about 0:04:40

Town note

The French established a Catholic mission there in the 1680s.

about 0:04:59

Town note

Great Britain took over from the French following the Seven Years War, almost 100 years later.

about 0:05:07

Town note

It was settled by the English, and the name Old Town derives from 'Indian Old Town', the English name for the largest Indian village in the area.

about 0:05:12

Town note

The site of that Indian village is now known as Indian Island.

about 0:05:25

Town note

Best known for the Old Town Canoe Company, which has manufactured canoes and kayaks there for over a hundred years.

about 0:05:30

Town note

The University of Maine is nearby in Orono, so many residents work there.

about 0:05:36

The figures, as told

Money

Median home value$198,200
Median household income$43,474
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2024

Population

"7,415"

No direction stated.

As told in 2024 about 0:03:57

Median household income

"$43,474"

Comparison: "well below the national average, usually $69,000". Direction: below.

As told in 2024 about 0:04:06

Median home price

"$198,200"

No direction stated.

As told in 2024 about 0:04:14

The reviews

4.0 / 5 · average of 3

5 stars

“Loved living there for three years with no issues other than buying the green rubbish bags; suggests putting a Glad bag inside the green bag and recommends River Fest in the fall.”
about 0:06:08

4 stars

“The best place until the dump appeared; not sure it is safe to live near it, can sometimes smell it, a combination of poop and pine cleaner.”
about 0:06:57

3 stars

“A small city outside Bangor where residents know one another, but drugs are a huge problem and it is hard to raise a teenage daughter outside the drug-abusing community.”
about 0:08:19

In Maine

Closest episodes

  1. Surprising Serial KillerCarmel, Maine · 4 December 202527 km / 17 miShow on map
  2. A Secret In Every HoleHartland, Maine · 11 February 202158 km / 36 miShow on map
  3. A Diabolical Death ParadeMachiasport, Maine · 24 March 2022113 km / 70 miShow on map
  4. A Strangely Murderous GrudgeFayette, Maine · 1 May 2026120 km / 75 miShow on map
  5. The Talented Mr PsychopathAmity, Maine · 29 February 2024127 km / 79 miShow on map

The story

The family moved from Castine to Bangor around 2005. By 2013 he was 20, living with his parents, working at the Getchel Agency caring for people with disabilities, and living with his 17-year-old girlfriend Sarah Mercinger and their four-year-old daughter.

Nicole Cable was a 15-year-old sophomore at Old Town High School, a cheerleader, 5 feet 3 inches and about 90 pounds, with three younger sisters and an older brother. She was sociable and always on her phone. She pushed him away and he bit her neck.

The next day, 12 May, Nicole received a Facebook friend request from Brian Butterfield, a boy she knew from school. The fake Butterfield asked Nicole to meet at the end of her road in Glenburn to smoke cannabis. He told her not to worry. As she waited at the roadside, a figure in a ski mask jumped from the bushes, choked her and bound her hands, feet and mouth with duct tape before putting her in the back of his father's pickup truck.

He took off her clothes, drove to woods in Old Town, laid her body on the ground and covered it with leaves and debris, then threw her clothes from the truck window. He went home and told Dustin what he had done, saying he had meant to stage a rescue so that Nicole would see him as her saviour.

Next morning Nicole's mother realised she was missing and called the police. A large search followed, with aircraft, dogs and hundreds of volunteers. On 16 May police interviewed him twice; he denied involvement, claimed he was at work in Bangor and gave a DNA sample voluntarily.

While being booked he became emotional and said it was not the traffic matter but what he had done that worried him. The next day Sarah told police everything, including that Nicole's body was in woods near Gilman Falls in Old Town, close to Dysart's gas station. Dustin also spoke to police. On 20 May, at about 9.30 p.m., Nicole's naked body was found under leaves and sticks near a dirt road off Gilman Falls Avenue. The cause of death was asphyxia from compression of the neck. About 300 people attended the funeral.

The pages contained changing accounts of the killing, a diagram of the area, and admissions that he had made the fake account, choked Nicole, taped her and scraped her nails to remove his DNA.

He was found competent and sane. Four witnesses, including his girlfriend, his father and two former co-workers, identified his handwriting.

The judge cited the same lack of remorse and the calculated steps taken after the killing, and imposed 60 years for murder and 30 years for kidnapping, to run concurrently, so 60 years, plus $12,881.95 in restitution.

The case

Murder of Nicole Cable

Victims

Nicole Christine Cable (15). known as Coco; sophomore and cheerleader at Old Town High School, 5 feet 3 inches and about 90 pounds, one of five children

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 24 August 2024.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Sarah Mercinger. 17-year-old girlfriend, who told police where the body was and testified for the state
Brian Butterfield. Nicole's friend from school whose name and photograph used for the fake Facebook account
Christine. Nicole's mother, who reported her missing and gave a victim impact statement
Jason. Nicole's father
Todd Nelson. former principal of Adams School, remembered and Dustin as sports-mad children
Hayley Robinson. friend who lent Nicole a pink sweatshirt later found by the road

The timeline

  1. the summer of 2012 , 18, leads a Maine state trooper on a high-speed motorcycle chase on I-95 north of Bangor, reaching 150 mph before crashing into a police cruiser and giving up (I-95)about 0:17:16
  2. 2013 is 20, lives with his parents, works at the Getchel Agency and lives with his 17-year-old girlfriend Sarah Mercinger and their four-year-old daughterabout 0:18:28
  3. May 11, 2013 comes to Nicole's house with cannabis, tries to kiss and grope her, bites her neck and is pushed away; she texts her boyfriend about it (Nicole's house)about 0:23:20
  4. May 12, 2013 A fake Brian Butterfield Facebook account, run by , asks Nicole to meet at the end of her road in Glenburn to smoke cannabis (End of Nicole's road)about 0:26:36
  5. May 12, 2013, 9:20 p.m. Nicole texts asking if it is weird to be a little scared; he tells her not to worry and she goes to the meeting place (End of Nicole's road)about 0:27:27
  6. the night of May 12, 2013 jumps from the bushes in a ski mask, chokes Nicole, duct tapes her hands, feet and mouth and puts her in his father's pickup truck (End of Nicole's road)about 0:27:55
  7. the night of May 12, 2013 drives to a secluded area, takes off Nicole's clothes and later lays her body in woods in Old Town, covering it with leaves and debris (Gilman Falls Avenue woods)about 0:28:51

Places and phrases

N ↑Public placePublic placePublic placePublic placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
Static locations; no street basemap. Places and details. OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap.

Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode