An Alfred man was charged with murder in the death of his wife a day after police were called to the family home Monday afternoon and discovered her body, prompting a lockdown of local schools.

James Crow, 40, was arrested and charged with murder in the death of Kristan Crow, 39, the Maine State Police said on Tuesday. Last fall, federal prosecutors had charged Kristan Crow with four counts of wire fraud, alleging that she stole over $423,000 from a former employer.

York County Sheriff’s Office deputies found Kristan Crow dead at the couple’s house on Waterboro Road around 3 p.m. on Monday, the Maine State Police said. Officers had been responding to a complaint about a disturbance.

Police did not provide further details on the disturbance or who contacted the sheriff’s office, but in a post on Facebook, RSU 57 Superintendent Stephen D. Marquis said that at 3:15 p.m., the York County Sheriff’s Office notified surrounding schools and offices of a “domestic violence situation,” and advised that those locations institute a hold in place order.

Massabesic High School canceled all after-school activities and home sporting events and requested parents come to the school to pick up their kids.

York County Sheriff William King said his office’s recommendation to local schools, some of which were several miles from the Crow home, came “out of an abundance of caution.”

“We didn’t know what we had initially,” King said. “We had an unfolding situation, and we thought it safest if we just locked down the schools.”

James Crow was not home when officers arrived.

State police and sheriff’s deputies surrounded him with guns drawn in the parking lot of Harry’s gas station on Route 111 in Lyman shortly after 4:30 p.m. Monday, according to video captured by WGME.

James Crow surrendered to police without incident, according to state police.

A medical examiner determined that Kristan Crow’s death was a homicide following an autopsy on Tuesday, but state police did not release a cause of death. A spokesperson for Maine State Police said more information would be released on Wednesday.

PENDING CHARGES

Kristan Crow made headlines last fall when prosecutors accused her of stealing over $423,000 from her employer between April 2018 and September 2021.

According to court records, she used her position as an administrative assistant at Walsh Engineering Associates, Inc. in Westbrook to siphon company funds into a personal bank account she shared with her husband.

According to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Andrew Drewer, Crow redirected 244 checks to and from the company into her own account without attracting suspicion. 

Only after Crow resigned in September 2021 did her employer discover the missing funds.

Kristan Crow was arrested last October and charged with four counts of wire fraud, a Class C crime that carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to twice the amount stolen, or nearly $850,000.

Since her release on an unsecured bond of $25,000, Crow and the prosecution have repeatedly agreed to push back court dates, citing a desire “to work on a potential resolution to the case that will not require an indictment.”

Crow and her lawyer agreed in October to amend the conditions of her release to include participation in mental health treatment.

EMPTY HOME

As of Tuesday morning, police still had much of the Crow’s home and yard taped off. A Maine State Police evidence van was parked out front.

But the neighborhood was otherwise quiet. The few homes nearby were empty when a reporter knocked on several front doors.

The family purchased the house on Waterboro Road in November 2018, according to local property records, seven months after Kristan Crow allegedly began stealing from her employer.

King declined to answer questions about whether the Crows had children and if they lived in the home.

James Crow is scheduled to have his initial appearance in York County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon.

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