UPDATE: The Maine State Police say an arrest has been made in the homicide of 46-year-old Nichole Jackson of Skowhegan.
Jackson’s boyfriend 55-year-old Dane Burke of Skowhegan has been charged with murder.
From the Maine State Police:
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta has ruled the death of a woman in Skowhegan a homicide following an autopsy conducted as part of an ongoing Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central investigation. The victim has been identified as 46-year-old Nichole Jackson of Skowhegan. The autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt force and sharp force trauma, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. Based on information developed during the investigation, Maine State Police identified Jackson’s boyfriend 55-year-old Dane Burke of Skowhegan as a suspect in her death. Burke was believed to be traveling in a 2018 silver Jeep Compass with Ohio license plates. On January 17, 2026, at approximately 8:00 AM, the vehicle was located in Lowell, Massachusetts. Local law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver failed to comply, resulting in a pursuit. Massachusetts State Police joined the pursuit, which continued into New Hampshire. The pursuit ended in Dunbarton, New Hampshire, when the vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a tree on Route 13, just north of Barnard Road. Following the crash, Burke barricaded himself inside the vehicle. The New Hampshire State Police SWAT Team responded and ultimately took Burke into custody at approximately 10:30 AM. Burke was transported to Concord Hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. He was arrested on a Maine warrant charging him with murder and will remain in New Hampshire custody pending his return to Maine. Once released from the hospital, Burke will be transported to a New Hampshire jail.
This investigation remains ongoing.
ORIGINAL POST: Jan. 16
The Maine State Police say an investigation is underway after a female was found deceased on West Front Street in Skowhegan, Wednesday, Jan. 14.
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the Skowhegan Police Department received a 911 call at 11:37 PM for a person not breathing at 361 West Front Street. Upon arrival officers discovered a deceased female at the residence. The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central was called to assist. The deceased was transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta for an autopsy that was conducted on Thursday January 15, 2026. Detectives and Evidence Technicians worked throughout the day conducting interviews and gathering evidence. The identity of the female as well as cause and manner of death are being withheld until positive identification and notification to family can be made. The investigation is still ongoing. There is no known danger to the public.
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