Amy Lynn Theriault, a 31-year-old Caucasian female, was a certified nurse's aide and a mother of two young daughters in the small town of Saint Francis, Maine. Her life was cut tragically short on May 31, 2014, in an act of domestic violence. In the early morning hours, her ex-boyfriend, Jesse Marquis, entered her home, a place where she should have been safe.
Theriault had ended her relationship with Marquis the day before, a decision that would ultimately prove fatal.
Concerned for her safety, two friends had stayed the night with Theriault. Their presence, however, was not enough to deter Marquis. He entered her bedroom carrying a knife and brutally attacked her. One of her friends, hearing the commotion, called 911 and reported hearing a gunshot from Amy's room. Marquis had stabbed Theriault multiple times before shooting her at close range with a high-powered hunting rifle. After the murder, he fled the scene, sparking a massive six-day manhunt in the dense woods of northern Maine. The search involved numerous law enforcement agencies and a bloodhound from New Hampshire, which eventually led to his capture about a mile from Theriault's home.
Following his arrest, Jesse Marquis was charged with the murder of Amy Theriault. The subsequent trial revealed a history of domestic violence and his anger over the end of their relationship. Text messages presented as evidence showed his attempts to reconcile, which later turned into demands for his belongings. The jury deliberated for just over an hour before finding him guilty of murder. In July 2016, a judge sentenced Marquis to life in prison, calling the crime the "ultimate act of domestic violence." In the wake of her death, a law known as "Amy's Law" was passed in Maine, which allows for harsher sentences in murder cases involving domestic violence, a lasting legacy for a life taken too soon.
