Austin Doucette faces murder charges after allegedly shooting his longtime girlfriend Mikayla Rose DeSantis in Carrabassett Valley, Maine. The incident, which Doucette claimed was accidental during 911 calls, resulted in DeSantis's death from multiple gunshot wounds. Police recovered evidence suggesting otherwise at the scene.
On Sunday evening, around 7:30 p.m., a shooting occurred at the Left Bank condominiums in Carrabassett Valley, a small town about 120 miles north of Portland, Maine. Austin Doucette, 24, from Connecticut, called 911 reporting that his 23-year-old girlfriend, Mikayla Rose DeSantis, also from Connecticut, had been shot. During the first call, Doucette sounded hysterical, yelling and shouting. He said, "I can't believe I did this," and told DeSantis, "I'm sorry babe." He claimed the .45-caliber handgun had gone off accidentally and that he was leaving with her to get help.
A second 911 call followed shortly after. Doucette identified DeSantis by name and said she had a gunshot wound to the stomach or abdomen area. "It accidentally went off," he repeated. Later, he added, "I would never do this" and "I don't want to go to jail."
Paramedics met the couple along Route 27 and found DeSantis with multiple gunshot wounds. She was transported to MaineHealth Franklin Hospital in Farmington and then airlifted to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where she succumbed to her injuries. A state police detective noted she was in surgery for a chest wound but had lost significant blood and was unlikely to survive. The autopsy confirmed death by multiple gunshot wounds.
When police arrived at the residence, Doucette was speeding away and was arrested the following night during a traffic stop. In his car, officers found reddish brown stains in the back seat, a receipt, and a cellphone that Doucette said belonged to DeSantis. Another 911 call from his father's girlfriend reported hearing Doucette say he was being chased by police, that something had happened to DeSantis, and that he intended to kill himself; his father urged him not to.
During a custodial interview, Doucette reiterated the shooting was accidental and said the gun was on the couch in the condo. He then invoked his right to an attorney. A search warrant executed on Monday recovered multiple Blazer .45 auto shell casings, the gun on the couch with a magazine and unspent ammunition nearby.
Both Doucette and DeSantis worked at the Sugarloaf Mountain ski resort and had been together for nearly eight years. DeSantis's brother started a GoFundMe, describing her as "the most heartfelt, well-minded woman" who loved baking, crafts, painting, and her job. Doucette's attorney, Verne E. Paradie, stated, "This appears to be a terrible accident and we hope to get more information in the near future regarding the circumstances of the situation."
Maine State Police charged Doucette with murder.