Episode 55: Herman DeRico
On the evening of November 4th, 2015, frantic calls began to flood into the police department in Oakland, Maine. Callers were reporting gunshots heard within a small radius on Belgrade Street that were accompanied by screaming and thumping sounds. Concerned neighbors heard a woman shout, “Please, no!” and “Please, help me!” followed by more gunshots. Within a few minutes, over 10 calls had been placed to police, including one of the women who was inside the apartment where the gunshots had come from.
When police arrived on scene at around 8:30pm, they discovered a horrible scene.
Inside the home were the bodies of three people. Amanda Bragg, 30, her boyfriend, Michael Muzerolle, 29, and her sister Amy Derosby, 28, were discovered around the apartment, all dead from gunshot wounds. Among the carnage was Amanda and Michael’s 3-year-old daughter, Arrianna. She was unharmed and immediately taken to safety.
Police discovered 42-year-old Herman DeRico in the driveway, with a 9mm handgun laying beside him. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and it became obvious that he was the one who had murdered the three adults inside the home.
Not a native of Maine, Herman DeRico had an extensive history of mental health issues. He was prescribed several antipsychotic medications for diagnoses such as depression, paranoia, and sleep disorders. According to an ex-girlfriend, Herman had become increasingly paranoid in their five-year relationship, and would make threats against her life. In the months leading up to the killings, Herman was treated at four separate hospitals for mental health issues. To this day, police are unsure what the motive was behind the slayings, but the underlying mental health problems are likely a strong factor.
Image sources:
latimes.com - “4 dead, including gunman, in central Maine shooting”
wmtw.com - “Vigil for Oakland homicide victims to be held on Sunday”