Man charged in grisly killings (one body burned, three dismembered)

[MaineDem]

NEWRY - Maine State Police today will resume their search for answers into what provoked a shooting rampage over Labor Day weekend, in which police say a 31-year-old cook burned a man's body after killing him and then dismembered three women he shot later.

Christian Nielsen remains at the Oxford County Jail, charged in one of the grisliest murders in recent Maine history, a crime that has left this tourist town reeling with shock and loss. Three of his victims were well-known professional women in the Bethel area. Two of them left behind young children.

The women's bodies were found outside the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast, where Nielsen was renting a room. The carcasses of three golden retrievers were found inside.

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/060906newry.shtml

From CNN:
NEWRY, Maine (AP) -- A cook was charged Tuesday with shooting and dismembering the owner of a bed-and-breakfast and killing three other people in a grisly Labor Day weekend crime spree that shocked people across the Maine countryside.

State Police chief Col. Craig Poulin refused to discuss a motive for what he called the worst homicide case in Maine in 14 years.

Christian Nielsen, 31, told detectives that his four-day rampage began with an Arkansas man on Friday and continued two days later with the slaying of the owner of the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast where he was staying in Newry, according to state police. The daughter of the inn's owner was then killed along with a female friend when they arrived there unexpectedly Monday, authorities said. (Watch police describe 'gruesome, unusual' crime -- 3:36)

The dismembered bodies of the three women were found Monday at the white 1830s farmhouse in Maine's ski country near the New Hampshire line, about 75 miles northwest of Portland. Nielsen then led detectives to the man's burned remains in the woods about 15 miles away.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/05/cook.charged.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories



THis happened in a tiny quiet town. People who have known this guy say he made then uncomfortable and he had to be fired from at least one job for rudeness. The local area is reeling at this.

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. He reminds me of Woody Harrelson

in Natural Born Killers

[zanne]

2. What's up with you Maniacs?

I was so surprised to read about this. I always thought that things like this never happened in Maine. Try to stay sane up there, huh? Manchester has become so bad I might have to move up there pretty soon!

[MaineDem]

3. This is highly unusual

The last time there was a multiple murder like this in Maine was 1988.

It'll be interesting to find out what the motive behind all this was. He's confessed but not many details have been released about any motive.

[MaineDem]

4. This was moved from LBN

I thought once it was on CNN it was more of a national story than a local one.

Sorry.

[toopers]

5. Yeah, and he claims to be a Christian . . .

n/t