The Murder of Douglas J. Parent (Maine)

Static punctuated the words of the interviewer, “This is side one of the cassette tape of the interview with Douglas J. Parent, and the only side.”

It was a Sunday afternoon in April of 1977. University of Maine Student Richard Petrovitz sat down at the table with his subject and hit record on the cassette player.

He continued, “This is the interview with Douglas J. Parent who owns the Waldoboro News Stand in Waldoboro, Maine. My name is Richard Petrovitz and I’m also from Waldoboro.”

The interview was part of the coursework for COM 101 – Speaker/Audience Communication at the University of Maine at Augusta. Students were documenting the stories of Maine in a collection of oral history, and 58-year old Douglas Parent had stories to tell.

Doug began with confidence, “Okay, my name is Douglas, better known as DJ. I am a native state of Mainer, born in Waterville, March 24th, 1919.”

Doug talked about his time in the Army, his career, his decision to strike out on his own and open Waldoboro News Stand. Richard asked Doug about life in Lincoln County in the mid-20th Century, how things had changed since he first came to Waldoboro, and what hadn’t.

And then Richard asked Doug this.

“What do you think about any of the crime around here?” Richard lobbed the question Doug’s way, casually. “Were there any bad crimes that you can ever remember?”

Doug responded, talking over Richard, “No, there’s no never been a major crime committed since I’ve been here.”

Richard interjected, “Any murders?”

“No, no, no murders,” Doug waved it off, “No murders I know of in the town of Waldoboro. Not that I can recall.”

6 years and 6 months later, that would all change. On October 3, 1983, the interview subject himself, Douglas J. Parent, would be found dead in his Waldoboro apartment.

Who killed the well-known Waldoboro figure? And why? His case has been on the Maine Unsolved Homicide list for decades and one rumor about what happened that night has circulated nearly as long. You’ll get to know Doug Parent through his own words and voice and we’ll dig into the whispered theory that even some inside the law enforcement community believe could hold pieces of the truth, if only they could prove it.

Press play to hear Doug Parent’s story on Dark Downeast wherever you get your podcasts.