On Friday, September 27th Richard Keith Thorpe (10/4/81: Maine) was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court. The Defendant was charged with Negligent Operation; Failing to Stop for Police, Resisting Arrest; and Receiving a Stolen Motor Vehicle. Judge Gioscia held the Defendant without the right to bail. The charges stemmed from an earlier police pursuit in which Thorpe led police on a high-speed chase through West Pittsfield before crashing into an unmarked cruiser.
Thorpe is a suspect in the homicide of Virginia Cookson who was found deceased in a Bangor Maine residence on September 25, 2024.
District Attorney Shugrue stated, “The Pittsfield Police Officers involved in this morning’s high-speed chase truly put their lives on the line to apprehend a dangerous criminal. I am thankful for their courage.”
He added, “My office was in immediate communication with the Maine State Police to ensure the Defendant faces charges related to the murder of Ms. Cookson.”
Mr. Thorpe waived extradition and will be transported back to Maine on Saturday, September 28th.
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Giarolo represented the Commonwealth.
Please see the press release below from the Pittsfield Police Department for more information on this story:
****For Immediate Release****
Subject: Homicide Suspect Arrest
Authored By: Lieutenant John Soules
Authorized By: Captain Matthew Hill
Released At: 27 September 2024 2:09 PM
On September 25 2024, officers with the Bangor Maine Police Department discovered 39-yearold
Virginia Cookson deceased within a residence. On September 27, a post-mortem
examination was conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta ME. As a
result of that examination, the manner of death was determined to be homicide.
As a result of an investigation by the Bangor Police Department’s Criminal Investigations
Division in conjunction with the State of Maine Office of the Attorney General, an arrest
warrant was issued for 42-year-old Bangor resident Richard Keith Thorpe for the crime of
Murder.
On Friday September 27 just before 4:00 AM, officers with the Pittsfield Police Department
(PPD) responded to a single motor vehicle crash near the intersection of West Street and
Onota Street. The vehicle was unoccupied, and items within led officers to believe that the
operator may have been Thorpe. Officers conducted an area search but were unable to locate
the driver at that time.
That same morning just prior to 7:00 AM, PPD officers responded to West Housatonic Street
for a report of a stolen motor vehicle. A BOLO (be on the lookout) for the vehicle was
broadcast to PPD officers and neighboring jurisdictions.
Later that morning at approximately 8:30 AM, the stolen vehicle was located and the operator
led PPD officers on a motor vehicle pursuit that included the areas of West Street and
intersecting streets. The suspect vehicle crossed the center divider, passed cars in a no-passing
zone, and failed to stop for police. It should be noted that school bus operations were active at
this time. The vehicle was eventually stopped in the area of Euclid Avenue after making
contact with a police vehicle. No significant injuries were reported.
The operator of the stolen vehicle was positively identified as Thorpe, and he was taken into
custody without incident. He was charged with numerous motor vehicle offenses and the out
of state arrest warrant for Murder. He is expected to be arraigned at Pittsfield District Court.
As a precaution during the motor vehicle pursuit, all local schools were asked to shelter in
place and based on the location of Taconic High School, that school was locked down. The
school safety actions lasted approximately five minutes.
Neither Thorpe nor Cookson have any known connection to Pittsfield MA, and no documented
calls for service prior to today’s event. No further information is available at this time. Some of
the information contained within this press release was provided by Detective Tim Shaw of the
Bangor Police Department.