After a loud explore and fire, a couple is found murdered in their home In the early morning hours of November 18, 1991, the quiet of Waterville, Maine, was shattered by a fatal fire that claimed the lives of 25-year-old Lorna Brackett and 46-year-old Vincent White. The two were discovered in the charred remains of White's home at 7 Reservoir Street after an intense blaze, which was later determined to have been intentionally set.
Their deaths have since been classified as a double homicide, a case that has remained unsolved for decades.
Just hours before the fire, on the chilly Sunday night of November 17th, Brackett and White were seen leaving the U.S.A. Lounge in nearby Fairfield around 10 p.m. Later that night, at approximately 3:17 a.m., Waterville police responded to a neighbor's complaint about loud voices and possible fireworks or gunshots at the Reservoir Street address. Finding the house quiet upon their arrival, the officers departed. However, a little over two hours later, at 5:35 a.m., neighbors were jolted awake by a loud explosion as the house was engulfed in flames.
Investigators from the Maine State Police and the State Fire Marshal's Office quickly deemed the fire an act of arson. An autopsy revealed that both Lorna Brackett and Vincent White had died from smoke inhalation. Despite the suspicious nature of the fire, there were no signs of other physical trauma on their bodies, raising questions as to why they were unable to escape the burning house. The case remains open, and though hundreds of interviews have been conducted over the years, no arrests have ever been made in connection with the murders of Lorna Brackett and Vincent White. The investigation at one point was linked to a cocaine trafficking probe in the area, but no definitive suspect or motive has been publicly identified.
