MAINE, 1973: In April of 1973, the vibrant college town of Orono, Maine was shattered by a shocking murder that sent tremors through the University of Maine community. The victim was Frederic Alan Spencer, a promising UMaine graduate student with a bright future ahead. When Frederic's roommate came forward and confessed to the killing, it seemed like an open and shut case.
However, as the trial of Richard Westall Rogers Jr. unfolded, it was clear the case was far from simple. Despite his admission of guilt, the proceedings took a surprising turn. Nobody in that courtroom could have known at the time, but the unexpected decisions made in the case of Frederic Spencer would set in motion a chilling and deadly ripple effect that only grew with intensity and consequence over the next few decades.
View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/fredericspencer
Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.
The Murder of Sophie Sergie Part 2 (Alaska)
The Murder of Sophie Sergie, Part 1 (Alaska)
The Murder of Douglas J. Parent (Maine)
The Murder of Sean Conway (Maine)
The Murder of Jason Bass & Disappearance of Adam Emery (Rhode Island)
The Murder of Katherine Murphy (Maine)
The Murder of Michael T. Connolly (Maine)
The Suspicious Death of Alexie Adams (Maine)
The Murder of Jack Bevins, Part 2 (Maine)
The Murder of Jack Bevins Part 1 (Maine)
The Murder of Thomas Napier (Maine)
The Suspicious Death of William Costello (Massachusetts)
The Ghost Town Beneath Flagstaff Lake (Maine)
The Suspicious Death of Sally Maynard Moran (Maine)
The Suspicious Death of Wanda Mitchell (Maine)
The Suspicious Death of Marcia Moore (Washington)
The Suspicious Death of Christopher Roof, the Stacyville John Doe (Maine)
The Disappearance of Angel Torres, Part 2 (Maine)
The Disappearance of Angel Torres Part 1 (Maine)
The Disappearance of Grace and Gracie Reapp (Vermont)
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