By Paula Roberts
The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit has recovered the remains of a homicide victim it believes to be Charles E. Woodburn at 219 Neck Rd. in Jefferson. Woodburn was reported missing Sept. 2, 2010. |
The Maine State Police criminal investigation unit excavated human remains believed to be long-missing Charles E. “Chuck” Woodburn at 219 Neck Road in Jefferson Wednesday, Aug. 27. Maine State Police spokesman Stephen McCausland said the State Medical Examiner’s Office has reported that the individual was a victim of a homicide.
Human remains discovered at 219 Neck Road in Jefferson on August 27 are believed to be those of Charles E. Woodburn. |
Woodburn was born Dec. 4, 1951 and last seen alive in 2002, according to McCausland.
Woodburn was reported missing to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office in 2010. McCausland said he may have been reported missing to the Waldoboro Police Department in 2004.
Woodburn was married to Diane Darling Woodburn at the time. “As far as we know, she never reported him missing,” McCausland said. Diane Darling Woodburn died Aug. 17, 2010. According to the State Police website, Chuck Woodburn was reported missing by a former stepson on Sept. 2, 2010, 16 days after Diane’s death.
“We are not talking about a suspect. We discovered the body just one week ago. We are not releasing details of the investigation,” McCausland said.
According to McCausland, the body was found buried in the yard. “We received a tip that the body was buried there,” McCausland said. Two dogs were brought in, one from the Maine State Police and one from the Maine Warden Service. State Police, using an excavator, discovered the remains where the dogs indicated.
State Police are reinterviewing family and friends to “try to retrace (Woodburn’s) steps,” McCausland said.
Diane Woodburn remarried Robert “Bob” Gaudette and they resided at 219 Neck Road in Jefferson. There are two houses and a trailer on the property.
(Ed. Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported Charles Woodburn was driving a vehicle involved in a fatal accident in Waldoboro on June 18, 1995. Charles Woodburn was not involved in the accident. His brother Calvin Woodburn was driving the vehicle.
The error originated in the June 22, 1995 LCN article reporting the accident. The error was addressed in a correction that ran on the front page of LCN’s June 29, 1995 edition.)