A Maine man charged with the murder of his estranged wife changed his plea to guilty and received what appears to be a life sentence.
David Gaudreau, 60, was charged with the murder of 59-year-old Dale Gaudreau in May 2024 after turning himself in to police hours after the shooting.
Dale Gaudreau had left her husband a week before he killed her and was going through a legal separation, according to local ABC affiliate WMTW.
On May 28, 2024, David Gaudreau followed his wife home from work in his truck, collided with her vehicle, and fired several shots at her, according to prosecutors. Maine State Police reported that the woman died at the scene of the crime.
According to local CBS affiliate WGME, several neighbors heard gunfire around 7:00 p.m. that evening. One person told the outlet that he thought he heard “fireworks and kids,” but then realized it was Dale Gaudreau’s screams as she was shot.
A married couple told old local NBC affiliate WCSH that they heard two vehicles speeding down the road outside their home on the evening of the shooting. When they got up to see what was going on, the husband stated, “[I]t looked like a gray pickup on the outside and a sedan on the inside. They had arrived, and the windows were down, and I wondered, “What is he doing?”
The terrified onlooker claimed he then “heard about seven shots.”
The crime scene and subsequent investigation caused Route 108 in Peru, Maine to be closed until the following morning, resulting in school closures the following day.
In a Facebook post following the slaying, Maine State Police said David Gaudreau called “several family members” to inform them that he had shot Dale Gaudreau.
He surrendered to police shortly after 11:30 p.m. that same night. He was booked into Oxford County Jail and charged with murder.
WGME reported that David Gaudreau “sobbed” throughout his first court appearance after the killing. At one point, he asked, “What have I f—ing done?” He continued crying.
The since-condemned man initially pleaded not guilty to murder before changing his plea to guilty. On Friday, he received a 45-year prison sentence.
