by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Maine State Police report 36-year-old Darren Laney Jr. of Big Lake Township has been arrested and charged with murder in the stabbing death of his father, 62-year-old Darren Laney Sr. 

Just before 11 a.m. today, Thursday, March 10, an emergency call to Washington County Regional Communications Center reported the stabbing. Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit North was called to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.

Shortly after noon, the Baileyville Police Department reported the Baileyville schools were put into a temporary lockdown following a sighting of the suspect in Baileyville. The schools resumed their normal classes after the suspect was apprehended.

Maine State Police Detectives arrested Laney Jr. at Indian Township PD without incident, and he was taken to the Washington County Jail in Machias.

 Washington County Sheriff's Office, Maine State Police Troop J, Indian Township Police Department, Passamaquoddy Warden Service, U.S. Border Patrol, Maine Warden Service, Downeast EMS, and Passamaquoddy Fire and Rescue assisted in the initial response and further investigation.  

No further details are released at this time. 

Today’s murder makes the sixth Washington County homicide in five months, continuing a significant spike in crime Downeast.

In November, 17-year-old Brandin Guerrero, of New York, was murdered in Machias. Five suspects have been charged in association with his shooting death. In December, Danielle Wheeler of Perry was charged with the shooting death of Jason “Cowboy” Aubuchon, of Eastport. In January, Adam Casey of Baileyville was charged with manslaughter in the drug-related death of Michael Bash of Baileyville. Also in January, Paul DeForest of Lubec was charged with the murder of Eva Cox of Lubec.

No arrests have yet been made in the February murder of Paula Johnson of Pembroke.