In the late hours of a Friday night in Biddeford, Maine, the life of Gene Dares, a 46-year-old Caucasian male, was brought to a tragic and violent end. On September 27, 2024, just before 11 p.m., the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of Foss Street, prompting a 911 call to the Biddeford Police Department. First responders arrived at the scene to find Gene Dares suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite their efforts to render aid, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later confirmed that Dares died from gunshot wounds and officially ruled his death a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting, a joint effort between the Biddeford Police Department and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit, soon pointed to a sinister plot. Authorities revealed that the incident was not a random act of violence but a carefully orchestrated event. According to prosecutors, the shooting stemmed from a staged drug deal. It is alleged that Linda Lambert, a 57-year-old resident of Biddeford, facilitated a meeting between Dares and 45-year-old Garret Labonte. Investigators believe Lambert informed Labonte that Dares was on his way to her residence on Foss Street, ostensibly to purchase cocaine.
This meeting was allegedly a trap, born out of a long-standing dispute between Labonte and Dares. When Dares arrived, a confrontation occurred, and he was shot. First responders discovered him with his pockets turned inside out and a backpack containing drug paraphernalia nearby. The investigation led police to the Saco River, where the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered. Authorities determined that Labonte had used the gun to kill Dares after Lambert had purchased it for him, as he was legally prohibited from owning a firearm.
Approximately one month after the fatal shooting, on October 28, 2024, police arrested two suspects. Garret Labonte and Linda Lambert were taken into custody without incident at a residence on South Street in Biddeford. Labonte was charged with murder, felony murder, and robbery. Lambert faced charges of felony murder and robbery. Both individuals, who have extensive criminal histories spanning more than two decades, were booked into the York County Jail. This brought a measure of resolution to a community shaken by the violent death of a man remembered by his family as a loving father to three daughters with an infectious smile.
