Member-only story
The Murder of Alice Hawkes: Why Has a ‘Solvable’ Cold Case Never Been Cracked?
Thirty-five years after a young woman was brutally slain in her apartment, her family struggles to understand why so little progress has been made in catching her killer.
Alice Hawkes from Maine was just 23 when she was murdered in her own apartment in October 1987. Although an investigation took place afterwards, some major questions remain about the now-cold case.
Where is the deadbolt key the killer apparently used to lock up after committing the crime? Why did police apparently not follow proper procedure when collecting alibis? And, most chillingly of all, is someone who was especially close to Alice continuing to get away with her murder?
A grisly crime scene
Alice lived in an apartment in Westbrook with her boyfriend Stephen Bouchard, whom she had met in 1982 during a camping vacation. On Saturday October 3rd 1987, she followed her usual weekend routine of going to the laundromat down the street while he went golfing with friends.
She arrived back home around 11:00 AM, with a neighbour helping her back up the stairs with her heavy duffel bag full of laundry. Once Alice got back…
