A woman is found dead by her landlord and boyfriend Alice Ann Hawkes, a 23-year-old White woman, was found brutally murdered on October 4, 1987, inside the apartment she shared with her boyfriend in Westbrook, Maine. Born on May 26, 1964, Alice grew up in Bangor, where she was raised in a close-knit family and graduated from Bangor High School in 1982. She later attended the University of Southern Maine and established a career with Maine Savings Bank in South Portland. Family and friends remembered her as an intelligent, compassionate, outgoing young woman who loved music, literature, and spending time with those closest to her. Her promising future was abruptly cut short when she became the victim of a violent attack that would remain unsolved for nearly four decades.
Alice lived with her boyfriend, Stephen Bouchard, in a second-floor apartment at 8 Spring Street in Westbrook.
On Saturday, October 3, 1987, a neighbor reportedly saw her bringing laundry into the apartment, and she spoke with her mother by telephone around midday. Investigators later believed she might have been putting away laundry when she was attacked. Prosecutors would eventually allege that Alice was beaten and had her throat slashed that day. The circumstances surrounding her final hours became central to an investigation that would continue for decades.
According to accounts provided during the original investigation, Bouchard had been away playing golf with friends on October 3. When he returned to the apartment, he reportedly discovered that the door was secured by a deadbolt for which he did not have a key. Although Alice's vehicle was parked outside, he said he could not get inside and was unable to reach her by telephone. Rather than immediately gaining access to the residence, Bouchard reportedly spent the night at a friend's home in Portland. The following morning, October 4, he returned and again found himself unable to enter the apartment.
Bouchard contacted the landlord, Bob Margiloff, who assisted in opening the residence. At approximately 10:55 a.m., Alice was discovered deceased inside the apartment. Investigators responding to the scene observed bloodstains on the living room carpet, with additional stains leading toward the bathroom, where her body was located on the floor. She had suffered severe injuries, including a slashed throat. Her death certificate identified the throat wound, and an autopsy determined that she had died from blood loss. Investigators concluded that her injuries were consistent with a violent homicide rather than an accidental or self-inflicted death.
One of the most troubling aspects of the investigation involved the apartment's security. Authorities found no apparent evidence of forced entry, and the residence's door and only window were reportedly locked. The unusual circumstances surrounding the deadbolt raised questions about how the perpetrator had entered and exited the apartment. Investigators also examined the possible use of a kitchen knife in the attack. The location of Alice's apartment keys and the circumstances under which the door had been secured became subjects of continuing scrutiny. The apartment door and frame were eventually preserved as evidence at the Maine State Police crime laboratory.
Westbrook Police and Maine State Police launched an extensive homicide investigation, interviewing individuals connected to Alice, including Bouchard, neighbors, acquaintances, and others who might have possessed relevant information. Investigators explored different possible explanations for the killing, but no arrests were made during the initial investigation. Despite the collection of physical evidence and numerous interviews, detectives were unable to establish a case that resulted in criminal charges. Over time, the investigation lost momentum and became one of Maine's longstanding unsolved homicides.
Alice's family never stopped seeking answers. Her sister, Rosemary Driggers, and other relatives repeatedly questioned whether important opportunities had been missed during the original investigation. They expressed concern about the handling of witness interviews, the circumstances surrounding the discovery of her body, and the absence of meaningful progress. Her mother, Frances Hawkes, continued contacting investigators and advocating for justice until her death in 2009. The family also offered a monetary reward for information and worked to maintain public awareness of Alice's murder.
Over the years, independent researcher Mark Swett became deeply involved in examining the case. He interviewed relatives, former neighbors, and others connected to the investigation, helping draw renewed attention to the unusual circumstances surrounding the locked apartment. In 2009, a website dedicated to Alice's memory and the investigation was launched. Public presentations, news coverage, and continuing appeals helped ensure that her story was not forgotten. In 2016, Maine State Police Lieutenant Brian McDonough publicly indicated that investigators had a strong understanding of what had happened and who might have been responsible, although no charges were announced at that time.
A significant breakthrough finally came in 2025, when the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit-Unsolved initiated a comprehensive reinvestigation. Detectives revisited the evidence, conducted additional interviews, and reexamined information gathered during the original investigation. The renewed investigative work ultimately led the Maine Attorney General's Office to pursue criminal charges against Stephen Bouchard, the man who had been living with Alice when she was killed. Authorities did not initially disclose the specific evidence that prompted the decision to seek an indictment.
On May 7, 2026, a Cumberland County grand jury indicted Bouchard on a charge of murder in connection with Alice's death. The following afternoon, May 8, detectives from the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit-Unsolved and Major Crimes Unit-South arrested Bouchard in Winslow, Maine, at approximately 2:17 p.m. At the time of his arrest, Bouchard was 63 years old. He was taken into custody and transported to the Cumberland County Jail, marking the first arrest in a murder investigation that had remained open for more than 38 years.
On May 11, 2026, Bouchard appeared in Cumberland County Superior Court for his arraignment, where he formally pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Superior Court Justice Deborah Cashman ordered him held without bail. Prosecutors alleged that Bouchard had beaten Alice and cut her throat on October 3, 1987. During subsequent proceedings, investigators disclosed that the decision to pursue charges followed renewed witness interviews and a review of existing evidence. The specific evidence supporting the prosecution's allegations had not been fully detailed in public reporting.
Bouchard's defense attorney, Peter Cyr, subsequently sought his release on bail, arguing that his client's medical needs, lack of criminal history, and community connections made him unlikely to flee. On June 23, 2026, Justice Cashman denied the request, citing the seriousness of the murder allegation and the potential sentence Bouchard would face if convicted. The defense appealed that ruling, but on July 30, 2026, a justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court upheld the decision to deny bail. Bouchard was therefore ordered to remain incarcerated while awaiting trial.
For Alice's surviving relatives, the arrest represented a moment they had hoped to witness for decades. Family members expressed gratitude to the investigators who had continued pursuing the case and to the people who helped keep Alice's memory alive. They also acknowledged that an arrest was only one step in a longer judicial process. The emotional toll of waiting nearly four decades for a possible resolution had been profound, especially for relatives who died without learning whether anyone would ever be held legally accountable.
As of the latest publicly available court reporting, Stephen Bouchard had been charged with Alice Hawkes' murder, had pleaded not guilty, and was awaiting trial while being held without bail. No conviction, sentencing, or final trial outcome was identified. The murder allegation remains subject to adjudication, and Bouchard is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Alice's case, once considered a seemingly permanent cold case, has entered a new chapter through the criminal prosecution, offering her family the possibility of answers and accountability after nearly four decades of uncertainty.
