Brooke McLaughlin, a 14-year-old whose death Maine State Police have labeled a homicide, lived at this home on Blackberry Road in Mount Vernon. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald
A 15-year-old boy from Wayne has been identified in court documents as the juvenile charged with murder in connection with the killing of a 14-year-old Mount Vernon girl.
Brooke McLaughlin Courtesy photo
Aidan Grant was identified in the court documents Monday following a morning hearing in the case at Waterville District Court. Grant is charged with intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Brooke McLaughlin on July 18 in Mount Vernon.
Grant had been in a relationship with McLaughlin since February, according to the boy’s Facebook page.
Additional case documents, including a police affidavit that would include details of how Grant allegedly killed McLaughlin, have been ordered impounded by a judge and are not available to the public.
McLaughlin had just completed seventh grade at Maranacook Community Middle School in Readfield, where teachers remembered her as a resilient student who was outspoken when she needed to be and deeply devoted to her friends and family. She was described as loving animals, especially her pet bearded dragon lizard.
Superintendent of Schools Jay Charette, after initially declining comment, later confirmed Monday in a message to the community that Grant had just finished his eighth grade year at Maranacook Community Middle School. Charette also said counseling services specific to middle and high school students would be made available Tuesday.
Residents of Mount Vernon said they are shocked and saddened by McLaughlin’s death. Some in the town of 1,700 residents said they feel a lost sense of security that has them locking doors and automobiles.
McLaughlin was found dead by her mother at their home on Blackberry Road just after 6 p.m. on Monday, July 18, according to investigators. The state Office of Chief Medical Examiner has determined McLaughlin’s death was a homicide.
Investigators first disclosed the case Wednesday, also saying someone had stolen a red 2010 Chevrolet Impala from McLaughlin’s home on the day of the killing, and police later found the car in Wayne.
Grant’s address is listed as Berry Road in Wayne, according to the court documents filed Monday. That is about a 20-minute drive away from McLaughlin’s residence.
Maine State Police detectives arrested Grant on Saturday morning, at the time not disclosing his name or residence because he is a juvenile. The boy was taken to the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, which is Maine’s youth prison.
Detectives said they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding McLaughlin’s death.
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