Pamela Gail Berenson Cohen, 71, was found dead at her East Road home in Brooklin, Maine, on July 2, 2023. The discovery came that Sunday afternoon when one of her children located Pamela and her 75-year-old husband, William Cohen, in the basement; both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head. The state medical examiner ruled Pamela’s death a homicide and William’s a suicide, and investigators concluded William shot his wife before taking his own life.

The Cohens were long-time, well-known members of their coastal community. Pamela was a retired special educator who volunteered locally; William chaired the Brooklin Board of Selectmen and had a career in corporate communications. Family members had gathered for the Fourth of July but many were away in Portland that day. Officials said an investigation into motive and circumstances would continue, and that prosecution was unlikely.

If anyone knew Pamela or the Cohens and can share observations about their recent behavior or relationships, that information could help clarify what led to this tragedy.