On the evening of June 25, 2010, 49-year-old Deborah Littlefield was found shot to death in the kitchen of her home on Veteran’s Highway in Brooks, Maine. A relative placed the initial call to emergency services, but Deborah was already deceased on arrival. She had been shot from behind with a .30-30 Winchester rifle while standing at the sink.

The investigation quickly centered on her husband of 30 years, 48-year-old Michael Littlefield. After the shooting he left the house, bought a 12-pack of beer at a convenience store, and then went to his sister’s home where he confessed. He later told a friend he had shot Deborah because she had been nagging him about a muffler he had bought for his truck. Michael also told his son, Zachary, that he had killed his mother and was going to jail for life; Zachary then found Deborah’s body.

Police arrested Michael at a friend’s residence and recovered the rifle believed to be the murder weapon. He pleaded guilty to intentional or knowing murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. His daughter said the family had lost both a mother and the father they knew. Did anyone in Brooks remember signs of trouble in the Littlefield household before that June night?