ALFRED — A 25-year-old Sanford man has been re-indicted on a murder charge in connection with the death of a Wells woman during an alleged burglary spree in 2015.

A York County grand jury has also added a count of manslaughter against Carlton Young for his alleged role in the death of Connie Loucks of Wells.

Loucks, 62, died of cardiac arrest March 25, 2015. Young is accused of causing her death as he and others were breaking into her Wire Road home for the second time in as many days.

He also faces a manslaughter charge, along with 18 other counts of burglary, theft, criminal trespass and attempted burglary. 

Young was first indicted a year ago on the murder charge and entered a plea of not guilty. His trial was scheduled for June, but was postponed. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Marchese who is prosecuting the case, said it made sense to consolidate all of the charges against Young.

As to the manslaughter charge, Marchese pointed out that one of the quartet involved in the burglary of the Loucks home, Brian Cerullo of Alfred, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case. Cerullo was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but eight years suspended, and will serve three years probation upon his release. He is incarcerated at the Maine State Prison in Warren.

Adding the manslaughter charge, Marchese said, “gives the jury more options.”

Cerullo, Marissa Vieira and Cathy Carle — and Young, the indictment alleges — broke into several area homes that year, stealing what they could find. Police said the four were using the proceeds to feed their drug habits.

Vieira and Carle, both of Sanford,  were sentenced in June, 2016 on an array of burglary and theft charges.  Vieria, is serving a 46-month sentence at the Maine Correctional Center in Windham;  Carle, 24, was sentenced to 6 years in prison with all but 529 days suspended, has been released and is serving three year probation.

An affidavit filed with the court by Wells Police Det. Todd Bayha in April 2015 outlines the initial burglary at the Loucks’ residence on Wire Road, and the subsequent burglary attempt the following day.

According to the affidavit, Connie Loucks reported to police that she had returned home to discover several pieces of jewelry missing from her home, which her husband later valued at more than $10,000. She told police the home was unlocked, and that she hadn’t authorized entry to anyone.

When reporting the burglary, Loucks asked the police officer how burglars would approach a home, and was told that they would usually bang on doors and windows to determine of anyone was inside. If someone was at home, they would make up an excuse and leave, according to the court document.

The following day, police received a call from Loucks at 12:32 p.m. She told them she believed the burglars had returned.

“She stated they were banging on the windows and doors of the residence, and when she asked them what they wanted, they stated they were looking for ‘Billy,’” Bayha wrote in the affidavit.

At 12:41 p.m.,  Loucks’ daughter called police and said she had been on the phone with her mother “about the men being at her house,” when the phone went dead.

At 1 p.m., police forced their way into the home and saw Loucks unresponsive on the couch. They attempted life-saving measures, to no avail. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the affidavit, Young’s criminal history includes convictions for theft and receiving stolen property in 2011 and several counts of burglary, theft and stealing drugs in 2013.

Young is scheduled to make a first appearance Aug. 14 at York County Superior Court. He remains incarcerated at York County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail on the original murder charge, a corrections officer confirmed Tuesday. 

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.