UPDATE, July 26: On Thursday, July 25, 2024, at approximately 1:30 p.m., detectives with the Major Crimes Unit Central arrested John Flower, 39, of Rockland. Flower was charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution, a class B felony, related to the Cushing death investigation. Flower was being held at the Knox County Jail on unrelated charges at the time of his arrest.

Flower made his initial appearance in Knox County Court via Zoom on Friday, July 26, 2024, at 1 p.m. at the Knox County Superior Court.

At the hearing, Judge Sarah Gilbert agreed with the recommendation of Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Baroody to set Flower’s bail at $25,000 cash with no third party bail allowed. The defense attorney for the day, Gregory Snow, asked for bail to be lowered to $10,000 unsecured. Snow said that his client has declared his innocence. Flower does not have to enter a plea until after the Knox County grand jury meets in September.

According to the prosecution, Flower has an extensive prior criminal history in Knox County dating back to 2002 that includes crimes of violence and tampering with a witness. Snow argued that Flower has not had any criminal activity for the past eight years in support of lowering his bail amount.

The affidavit filed to obtain the arrest warrant for Flower was also sealed by the court.

If Flower posts bail, a condition of his release will be to report daily to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

A court appointed attorney will defend Flower. 

July 17: Additional information confirming the identity of the man killed in Cushing has been provided by the Maine Dept. of Public Safety in another news release. “The victim has been identified as 45-year-old Kyle MacDougall, of Waldoboro. The cause and manner of death are not being released at this time,” said the public information officer, Shannon Moss.

UPDATE: A second suspect in the Cushing death investigation that began July 12 has been arrested in Augusta after leading law enforcement on a pursuit through Windsor and into Augusta on Tuesday, July 16.

According to a July 17 news release from the Maine Dept. of Public Safety, on Tuesday, July 16,  at approximately 2 p.m., Maine State Police became involved in a pursuit on Route 32 in Windsor. The driver of the vehicle, Jason Hewett, 39, of Augusta, traveled north on Route 32 toward China, took Route 3 toward Augusta and in an effort to avoid spike mats placed on Route 3 in Augusta he drove into a ditch and onto the lawn of Nadeau Chiropractic and Wellness Center.

Hewett then barricaded himself inside his vehicle, the release said.

The Maine State Police Tactical Team and Crisis Negotiation Team responded.

After four hours of negotiations, Hewett surrendered and was arrested without incident. Hewett was transported to the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta.

He is charged with Eluding an Officer, Domestic Assault and Manslaughter.

Hewett is a suspect in the Cushing death investigation, the release said.

While the release said the deceased will be identified once the Office of Chief Medical Examiner can make a positive identification and next of kin is officially notified, a criminal complaint filed by the state in Knox County Court July 15 had identified the man killed in Cushing as Kyle MacDougall.

The Knox County complaint was filed against Mark Gagne, 41, of Cushing, who is accused of hindering apprehension and abuse of a corpse in Cushing.

Assisting the Maine State Police was the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency. 

Gagne made his initial appearance in court Monday afternoon via Zoom where Justice Jeffrey Hjelm set his bail at $100,000 cash.

The first count of the criminal complaint, hindering apprehension, includes that “on or about July 12 in Cushing Gagne with the intent to hinder, prevent or delay the discovery, apprehension, prosecution, conviction, or punishment of the person who caused the death of Kyle MacDougall for the commission of a crime.”

The second count of the criminal complaint, abuse of a corpse, states that “Gagne did intentionally disinter, dig up, remove, conceal, mutilate or destroy a human corpse or any part of the ashes there of.”

The affidavit in the case has been sealed at the request of the Maine Attorney General’s Office.

Gagne is scheduled to appear in court again on Sept. 5. 

KNOX COUNTY — As of Monday morning, July 15, 2024, the affidavit in the case against Mark Gagne, 41, of Cushing, has been sealed and is unavailable to reporters. 

Gagne was arrested Friday, July 12, 2024 in the process of an ongoing death investigation in Cushing being conducted by The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central. Detectives and Evidence Response Technicians were at 834 River Road on Friday, July 12, 2024, and Saturday, July 13, 2024, conducting interviews and processing the scene. 

The deceased was transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta where an autopsy will be performed to determine manner and cause of death and positively identify the victim. 

Gagne was charged with Hindering Apprehension and Abuse of a Corpse, transported to the Knox County Jail. He is expected to make his first court appearance Monday, July 15, 2024. 

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is assisting. The investigation is ongoing. Additional information will be released when it’s appropriate to do so, according to Public Information Officer Shannon Moss, in a news release.