On the evening of March 3, 1941, a shocking act of violence unfolded within a modest apartment in Lewiston, Maine, resulting in the deaths of four people. Among the victims was 20-year-old Pearl Stevens Pellerin, a young woman whose life was cut tragically short. Also killed in the rampage were her mother, 59-year-old Pearl Wentworth Stevens, her 12-year-old brother, George Leo Stevens, and a 60-year-old boarder, Flora Wentworth Currier.
The four victims were discovered in their home, having all been shot.
The initial investigation quickly focused on a single suspect: Pearl's husband of just a few months, 24-year-old Laureat Pellerin, a local textile worker. He was soon apprehended by police. Under questioning, Pellerin confessed to the killings, providing a chilling account of the events that transpired. He stated that he had been drinking heavily throughout the day and had gone to his in-laws' apartment with the intention of convincing his wife to come home with him. When she refused, an argument ensued, which escalated to horrific violence.
According to his confession, Pellerin first shot his mother-in-law, Pearl Wentworth Stevens, in the kitchen. He then proceeded to the living room where he shot his wife, Pearl, and the boarder, Flora Currier. His young brother-in-law, George Stevens, who had been listening to the radio, was the last to be killed. Pellerin claimed that he had no memory of the actual shootings, only of the events leading up to them and the aftermath. After the murders, he fled the scene and was later arrested.
Laureat Pellerin was subsequently charged with four counts of murder. His trial was a swift affair, largely due to his detailed confession. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, a defense that was ultimately rejected by the jury. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to four consecutive life terms in prison. The motive for the devastating crime was attributed to a combination of jealousy, alcohol, and domestic strife. The brutal slaying of four people in a single evening left a lasting scar on the community of Lewiston, a stark reminder of a domestic dispute that ended in an unimaginable tragedy.
