PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – The case of a missing local woman may be coming to a close, following the discovery of a body along the Aroostook River just off the Fort Road on Friday.
Officer Larry Fickett, of the Presque Isle Police Department, was on routine patrol in the area May 18 when he was flagged down at around 1 p.m. by a Fort Fairfield man who reported he had found what he believed was a human body on the riverbank while he and his teenage son were out fiddleheading. Fickett followed the man while radioing for a detective to respond to the scene.
Upon investigating, Fickett determined the body was in fact human.
Det. Sgt. Wayne Selfridge and Chief Naldo Gagnon were notified, as was Maine Warden Service Sgt. Tom Ward. Maine State Police and the Presque Isle Fire Department were also notified and responded.
After investigating the scene, the body was moved from the area by Duncan Graves Funeral Home who kept the remains until someone from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta could come up to take charge of the matter.
Selfridge, who’s been in charge of the Tela Hart case – a Presque Isle woman who disappeared Oct. 9, 2005 – said while a body has been found, it will take a few more days to positively determine the person’s identity.
Hart was last seen in the early morning hours of Oct. 9, 2005, when she left a residence on Lenfest Street and headed toward the Presque Isle Stream. Selfridge said she’d told friends if she couldn’t find a place to stay, she might stay under the State Street Bridge. After she was reported missing, the PIPD’s K-9 tracker, Hunter, with his handler, Officer Kevin Schumacher, tracked a scent to the stream. It’s believed Hart ended up in the water. Numerous searches have taken place since that time, with no luck in finding the missing woman.
Selfridge said it was no surprise someone fiddleheading found the body.
“That’s what we said all along – it would be someone out fiddleheading, fishing or even hiking that would make the discovery. A body was found with debris from the river that washed up over time. When the water receded, some materials remained on shore, including the body. We won’t know the identity for a while, so we can’t say it’s Hart’s at this time,” said Selfridge, indicating plans were to go over aerial photos taken in the area to see if something might have been missed when the pictures were reviewed before.
On Saturday, James A. Ferland, administrator from the office of the chief medical examiner, headquartered in Augusta, went to the site with local law enforcement prior to transporting the remains to the lab in Augusta where tests would determine identity and cause of death. Ferland, no stranger to Presque Isle, once served as the chief of police. Returning to the Star City over the weekend, he spent the day with some of his former staff, including Gagnon, as he assisted with the investigation.
Ferland said identification of the body could be made by the end of the week.
“We have known DNA from members of Tela Hart’s family and we’ll attempt to collect a viable sample from the body found on Friday. Tests will be performed with the help of the Maine State Police Lab. If we’re successful, we could have identification by later this week,” said Ferland.
Identification, according to Ferland, is only one element of the investigation. The second involves determining the cause of death.
“Although identification may be made within the week, the body won’t be released to the family until more tests are run to determine the cause of death. Dr. Marcella Sorg, a board certified forensic anthropologist from UMO, will be contacted to work on the case. In a case where a body has been missing this long, it may be difficult to determine the manner of death,” said Ferland.
Selfridge said although positive identification hasn’t been made yet, he has notified Hart’s family about finding a body on Friday.
“I knew it was just a matter of time before the news got out and wanted them to be aware prior such reports going public,” said Selfridge, who’s worked diligently on the case – a total of one year seven months and nine days from the time Hart disappeared Oct. 9, 2005 until this body was discovered on Friday.
Hart’s niece said the discovery of the body was a bit ironic, with Mother’s Day just a week before and Memorial Day fast approaching. But the most ironic element is the fact the body was found on Hart’s niece’s birthday and just one day before Hart herself would have marked her 44th birthday on May 19.
“My aunt often joked with my cousin that she could have waited a day to be born, then they’d share the same birthday. If it is Tela, it is kind of strange to happen so close to her birthday,” said Shannon Cole, one of Hart’s nieces.
Last year, the family marked Hart’s birthday with balloons and candles at the site she was believed to have disappeared on the Presque Isle Stream. This year the family had planned to do the same thing.
“But now we’re waiting for positive ID. Once we have that, if it is her, we’ll probably go and do something then,” said Cole. “Once we do get a positive ID, most of us will go to the site the body was found and do something. That’s the most we can do until the body is released to us so we can hold a funeral, if the body is determined to be my aunt.”
Cole said family and friends aren’t sure what to feel, since they received word of the discovery.
“One minute we’re happy that we now have closure, but on the other hand we have to deal with the loss, plan a funeral,” said Cole.
Many people have played an important role in helping search for Hart, according to Cole, and Hart’s family are grateful for the efforts.
“We want to thank the Warden Service, NSSAR, the Medical Examiner’s Office, the PIPD, state police, volunteers and everyone whose made the time to help search for her. But most of all, we especially want to thank Wayne. He never closed the case. He’s become a part of our family. He’s been there for us, always – never too busy to talk and listen when we called or stopped by,” said Cole.
Cole said she and her family sympathize with the family of Alexandria Winship-Wright, the 3-year-old who disappeared in late April from an apartment near the Aroostook River in Fort Fairfield.
“We want to put it out there that we’re thinking of the family and realize what they’re going through. We know what it’s like not to know where a loved one is,” she said.
The Hart case may have been a learning experience for emergency personnel in the area, Cole said.
“Because of my aunt’s case, emergency personnel had the opportunity to work together, learn new methods for searching. Agencies have learned a lot from my aunt’s disappearance, so maybe some good has come out of all this.”
Officer Larry Fickett, of the Presque Isle Police Department, was on routine patrol in the area May 18 when he was flagged down at around 1 p.m. by a Fort Fairfield man who reported he had found what he believed was a human body on the riverbank while he and his teenage son were out fiddleheading. Fickett followed the man while radioing for a detective to respond to the scene.
Upon investigating, Fickett determined the body was in fact human.
Det. Sgt. Wayne Selfridge and Chief Naldo Gagnon were notified, as was Maine Warden Service Sgt. Tom Ward. Maine State Police and the Presque Isle Fire Department were also notified and responded.
After investigating the scene, the body was moved from the area by Duncan Graves Funeral Home who kept the remains until someone from the Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta could come up to take charge of the matter.
Selfridge, who’s been in charge of the Tela Hart case – a Presque Isle woman who disappeared Oct. 9, 2005 – said while a body has been found, it will take a few more days to positively determine the person’s identity.
Hart was last seen in the early morning hours of Oct. 9, 2005, when she left a residence on Lenfest Street and headed toward the Presque Isle Stream. Selfridge said she’d told friends if she couldn’t find a place to stay, she might stay under the State Street Bridge. After she was reported missing, the PIPD’s K-9 tracker, Hunter, with his handler, Officer Kevin Schumacher, tracked a scent to the stream. It’s believed Hart ended up in the water. Numerous searches have taken place since that time, with no luck in finding the missing woman.
Selfridge said it was no surprise someone fiddleheading found the body.
“That’s what we said all along – it would be someone out fiddleheading, fishing or even hiking that would make the discovery. A body was found with debris from the river that washed up over time. When the water receded, some materials remained on shore, including the body. We won’t know the identity for a while, so we can’t say it’s Hart’s at this time,” said Selfridge, indicating plans were to go over aerial photos taken in the area to see if something might have been missed when the pictures were reviewed before.
On Saturday, James A. Ferland, administrator from the office of the chief medical examiner, headquartered in Augusta, went to the site with local law enforcement prior to transporting the remains to the lab in Augusta where tests would determine identity and cause of death. Ferland, no stranger to Presque Isle, once served as the chief of police. Returning to the Star City over the weekend, he spent the day with some of his former staff, including Gagnon, as he assisted with the investigation.
Ferland said identification of the body could be made by the end of the week.
“We have known DNA from members of Tela Hart’s family and we’ll attempt to collect a viable sample from the body found on Friday. Tests will be performed with the help of the Maine State Police Lab. If we’re successful, we could have identification by later this week,” said Ferland.
Identification, according to Ferland, is only one element of the investigation. The second involves determining the cause of death.
“Although identification may be made within the week, the body won’t be released to the family until more tests are run to determine the cause of death. Dr. Marcella Sorg, a board certified forensic anthropologist from UMO, will be contacted to work on the case. In a case where a body has been missing this long, it may be difficult to determine the manner of death,” said Ferland.
Selfridge said although positive identification hasn’t been made yet, he has notified Hart’s family about finding a body on Friday.
“I knew it was just a matter of time before the news got out and wanted them to be aware prior such reports going public,” said Selfridge, who’s worked diligently on the case – a total of one year seven months and nine days from the time Hart disappeared Oct. 9, 2005 until this body was discovered on Friday.
Hart’s niece said the discovery of the body was a bit ironic, with Mother’s Day just a week before and Memorial Day fast approaching. But the most ironic element is the fact the body was found on Hart’s niece’s birthday and just one day before Hart herself would have marked her 44th birthday on May 19.
“My aunt often joked with my cousin that she could have waited a day to be born, then they’d share the same birthday. If it is Tela, it is kind of strange to happen so close to her birthday,” said Shannon Cole, one of Hart’s nieces.
Last year, the family marked Hart’s birthday with balloons and candles at the site she was believed to have disappeared on the Presque Isle Stream. This year the family had planned to do the same thing.
“But now we’re waiting for positive ID. Once we have that, if it is her, we’ll probably go and do something then,” said Cole. “Once we do get a positive ID, most of us will go to the site the body was found and do something. That’s the most we can do until the body is released to us so we can hold a funeral, if the body is determined to be my aunt.”
Cole said family and friends aren’t sure what to feel, since they received word of the discovery.
“One minute we’re happy that we now have closure, but on the other hand we have to deal with the loss, plan a funeral,” said Cole.
Many people have played an important role in helping search for Hart, according to Cole, and Hart’s family are grateful for the efforts.
“We want to thank the Warden Service, NSSAR, the Medical Examiner’s Office, the PIPD, state police, volunteers and everyone whose made the time to help search for her. But most of all, we especially want to thank Wayne. He never closed the case. He’s become a part of our family. He’s been there for us, always – never too busy to talk and listen when we called or stopped by,” said Cole.
Cole said she and her family sympathize with the family of Alexandria Winship-Wright, the 3-year-old who disappeared in late April from an apartment near the Aroostook River in Fort Fairfield.
“We want to put it out there that we’re thinking of the family and realize what they’re going through. We know what it’s like not to know where a loved one is,” she said.
The Hart case may have been a learning experience for emergency personnel in the area, Cole said.
“Because of my aunt’s case, emergency personnel had the opportunity to work together, learn new methods for searching. Agencies have learned a lot from my aunt’s disappearance, so maybe some good has come out of all this.”
