Dark Downeast - The Disappearance of Ellen Choate (Maine)

Episode Date: April 18, 2022

NEWPORT, MAINE 1975: Ellen Choate was ready to start her new job. So ready, that she hopped a train from Philadelphia to Boston just hours after she graduated to get a jump start on her journey to Maine.It was midnight when Ellen took her seat on that train heading north, hoping that once in Massachusetts, she’d find a ride to Bangor, where her house, car, and new role as a Montessori teacher was waiting for her. That was June 1, 1975. The last time anyone saw Ellen Choate alive.If you have information regarding this case, please contact the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit - North at [phone] or toll free 1-800-432-7381. You may also report information about this crime using the leave a tip form. View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/ellenchoateFollow @darkdowneast on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTokTo suggest a case visit darkdowneast.com/submit-case Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.

Ellen Schott was ready to start her new job. So ready that she hopped a train from Philadelphia to Boston just hours after she graduated to get a jump start on her new journey to Maine. It was midnight when Ellen took her seat on that train heading north, hoping that once in Massachusetts she'd find a ride to Bangor where her house, car, and a new role as a Montessori teacher was waiting for her. That was June 1st, 1975, the last time anyone saw Ellen Schott alive. Ellen's name remains on the Maine State Police unsolved homicide list all these decades later, one of two long-standing cases without resolution in Newport, Maine from 1975. From the start of the investigation, detectives considered possible ties to numerous other homicides in the area.

What was happening in Sebastakook Valley in the mid-1970s? Who is responsible for these violent crimes? And will these cases ever get the conclusion they deserve? I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is the case of Ellen Choate on Dark Down East. She was always very sure of herself, confident and independent. 24-year-old Ellen Linda Choate knew what she wanted and was determined to get it, whatever hurdle may land in her path. As a high school student at Pencrest High School in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Ellen was a high-achieving student. She'd been inducted into the National Honor Society and was a member of the Junior Historian Club. She'd received a Good Citizen Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Ellen graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and went on to attend Raven Hill Academy in East Falls, Pennsylvania to study the Montessori teaching

method. With Montessori education, the natural curiosity of children is encouraged through independent learning versus formal teaching methods. It makes sense that Ellen, who herself was quite independent, would be drawn to this style of education. As part of her education at Raven Hill, Ellen was assigned to a practice teaching role at a Montessori school to get some real field experience working with children. Though she was based in Pennsylvania, Ellen was placed at a school in Bangor, Maine, where she lived for a few months during her assignment. That practice teaching work ended in a job opportunity at the Children's House in Bangor. Ellen was scheduled to start on June 2, 1975. Before her new job in a new state began, Ellen returned to Pennsylvania to attend graduation at Ravenhill Academy and to pack her belongings for a more permanent move to Maine.

She was only home with her family in Pennsylvania for a week. Eager to return to Maine, Ellen made plans to leave immediately after graduation, the very same night. It was May 31st, 1975. The original plan was that Ellen would ride to Maine with another girl who was also headed to the Pine Tree State. At the last minute, those plans fell through. But Ellen was determined to get there, and so she resolved to buy a train ticket to Boston and hitchhike the rest of the way to Bangor, Maine. It's a long ride from Philly to Boston, between five and six hours depending on the train. Ellen would be traveling overnight, with the train departing from Pennsylvania at midnight on May 31st. Just to note,

sources differ on Ellen's official departure date from Pennsylvania, either May 31st or Just to note, sources differ on Ellen's official departure date from Pennsylvania, either May 31st or June 1st, 1975. This is likely due to the midnight train that began Ellen's journey to Maine through Boston. On Monday, June 2nd, 1975, the staff at the children's house in Bangor awaited the arrival of their new teacher. Miss Choate didn't seem like the type to arrive late, but it was soon clear that Ellen wouldn't arrive at all. The eager new Montessori school teacher was a no-call, no-show. As the day went on, Ellen's would-be new co-workers were concerned. Ellen Choate was reported missing.

Ellen's mother Anne wasn't able to attend the graduation ceremonies at Ravenhill Academy on May 31st, but she spoke to her daughter on the phone in the morning, who shared her plans to leave for Maine later that night. As far as Anne knew, Ellen was riding with a friend to Bangor, Maine shared her plans to leave for Maine later that night. As far as Anne knew, Ellen was riding with a friend to Bangor, Maine for her new teaching job and would start at the children's house bright and early on Monday morning, June 2nd. When Ellen's mom got the call that Ellen had been reported missing in Maine, she was shocked. It wasn't until a friend of Ellen's updated Anne that Ellen instead took a train and planned to hitch a ride from Boston. Ann told the Delaware County Daily Times, quote, I still thought she had a ride. That's when we figured something happened,

that she'd gotten a bad ride, end quote. Ellen's family, including her mother and three brothers, worked closely with police in Maine as the search for Ellen began. Police did conduct interviews and tried to trace Ellen's travels after she left the Philadelphia area, but like too many of the stories we've heard of people, particularly women, disappearing in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, there wasn't tremendous concern from local authorities, at least in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, there wasn't tremendous concern from local authorities, at least in the eyes of Anne. Police told Ellen's family that it was possible Ellen just decided to head somewhere else or that she chose to disappear. The assessment was absurd to Ellen's family. This was a woman excited about her new career path and starting a new job, so excited that she left as soon as she possibly could, taking a midnight train out of

town. Ann said that they just couldn't accept the theory that Ellen took off without notice or contact. Ann said in the Philadelphia Daily News, quote, They just kept saying that she was old enough to do what she wanted. How do you explain to them she wouldn't do it? End quote. According to the Delaware County Daily Times, Anne and her three sons took matters into their own hands and began contacting every local police department in the Bangor area to push for more attention on Ellen's disappearance. They hired a private detective and traveled to Maine themselves to search for any sign of Ellen. They always came back empty-handed. The not knowing was excruciating. The searching became an everyday practice, even when they weren't physically in Maine. Ellen's mother said that

they looked for her face everywhere. Quote, we knew something bad happened, but we kept looking at every face. On the television, we would scan crowds looking for her. End quote. When headline news included reports of an unidentified body found in a marsh, they'd be tortured with the thought that it was Ellen. Quote, you go insane. They don't tell you, is it a man? Is it a woman? Is it black? Is it white? End quote. As time stretched on from the last day anyone saw Ellen Choate, that June 1st, 1975, Ellen's family received two or three phone calls from authorities informing them that bodies were discovered, possibly belonging to Ellen. When further investigation proved that the remains were not Ellen,

the cycle of trauma began again. The Philadelphia Daily News described it as a private hell. For two years, they searched crowds on the television. They followed up with police departments and the private investigator. They hoped they'd have some form of relief from their nebulous state of unknown. In June 1977, Ellen's brother got a call that would finally put an end to their waiting, but began an investigation that continues to this day. On Sunday, June 27, 1977, a motorist traveling on the Old County Road between Newport and Corinna, Maine, noticed something unusual in the overgrown bushes not far from the side

of the road. When the driver took a closer look, they realized they'd found a human skeleton. The skeletal remains were discovered just 15 feet from the rural road that connects the two small Maine towns. On first assessment, crime scene investigators noted that the skull contained an unnatural hole, but determining the cause of that trauma would have to wait for an official autopsy by the medical examiner and consultation with other pathologists to determine how that hole could have been caused. From the earliest moments of the discovery, Sergeant Dale Ames told the Kennebec Journal that the discovery and the case were being treated as a homicide,

though an official ruling had yet to be made. Dental records would hopefully identify their victim, and the investigation would continue from there. That's when the first phone call of several came in to Ellen Choate's family. Ellen's brother was the first to hear from Maine authorities the next afternoon that they'd discovered a body and had reason to believe it was Ellen. Near the remains, detectives also recovered a scrap of a license. It belonged to Ellen Choate, but they'd need dental records to confirm it was her. By Thursday, June 30, 1977, Ellen's family had confirmation. The skeletal remains belonged to their daughter and sister. Ellen's mother, Ann, said that she felt relieved and

released, saying to Gloria Campisi for the Philadelphia Daily News, quote, When you've been through this for two years, you've done an awful lot of your mourning. At least, now we know. It is a relief. End quote. The medical examiner's report was released the same week that Ellen Choate's body was discovered and positively identified. The report confirmed suspicions about the injury to Ellen's skull. Dr. Henry Ryan said that the hole was caused by a gunshot. In the Delaware County Times, Dr. Ryan said that the size of the hole allowed him to make a rough guess at the caliber of the gun and determine the direction from which it was fired, since the hole is typically larger on the opposite

side of where the bullet made contact. As for the specifics of the gun, direction, and other information about the presumed shooting death, quote, we are not going to release those details yet, end quote. The circumstances of Ellen's death, according to the Delaware County Daily Times, were considered highly suspicious, though the M.E. waited to make his final ruling on the manner of death. The next day, on July 2, 1977, Ellen Choate's death was officially classified as a homicide. The homicide investigation unfolded in the following weeks. Authorities determined that Ellen's body had been in that very spot for at least one year, if not two, before she was discovered. Following her initial disappearance in 1975, detectives struggled to trace Ellen's movements beyond the train from Philadelphia to Boston. Discovering

her body in Maine was the first confirmation that she actually made it close to her intended destination. The point on the road between Newport and Carina where Ellen was ultimately found is about 25 miles from Bangor, where her mother said she had her own house and car. Anne said in the Philadelphia Daily News, quote, she was right where mother said she had her own house and car. Anne said in the Philadelphia Daily News, quote, she was right where she said she would be, end quote. An interesting note, according to Anne, the day Ellen left for Maine, the weather in the area she was found was foggy and rainy. However, I'm unable to confirm this, as the Farmer's Almanac indicates there was no precipitation on June 1st, 1975. Anne also described the Old County Road as desolate,

which definitely checks out. I think both of these details, if the weather forecast is accurate, describe a scene where something bad could happen, and no one would be around to witness it. Still, Detective Corporal Daryl Clement said in the Biddeford Journal-Tribune that with the investigation now pointing to homicide, police were attempting to locate and re-interview some of the original people they spoke to when Ellen first disappeared two years earlier. Tracking those individuals down was a challenge. Quote, we're having a tough time finding them. It's slow work. End quote. Maine authorities contacted Massachusetts police and were eager to find a lead to follow or a clue

to run down. But three weeks into the investigation, there were no further leads or clues to speak of, just assumptions. They assumed Ellen never made it to Bangor, and that was the extent of what police shared publicly of the knowledge they had in the case. When the medical examiner finally released Ellen Choate's body a month after it was discovered, her family was able to hold a memorial service for her at their local church in Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, her family asked that contributions be made to the Ethel Mason Daycare Center or the charity of the donor's choice. It was a fitting honor for a woman who cared so deeply about her work and the children she planned to teach. Meanwhile, the investigation continued, though slowly and without any apparent progress. In August,

yet another disappearance and death of a young woman in a nearby town would start the spiral of questions. Were the deaths of multiple women in the central Maine area somehow connected? 18-year-old Catherine Jean Pooler was reported missing on July 24, 1977, after she was last seen at Wright's General Store in Canaan, Maine, around 9.30 at night. According to Bruce Hertz for the Bangor Daily News, about two weeks later, a counselor at Camp Moden for Boys called the Somerset County Sheriff's Department to report a strong odor coming from the horse paddock not far from the camp's entrance. Deputy Jack Goodwin uncovered the body of Catherine Jean Pooler that night, buried in a shallow grave just one mile from the place she was last seen alive. Bruce Hertz reported that police were looking for similarities between the murder of Catherine Pooler and Ellen Choate, as well as the 1976 shooting death of Janet Baxter

in Norwich Walk, Maine. All three towns where these crimes took place—Newport, Canaan, and Norwich Walk, are within 20 to 40 minutes of each other. The homicides happened in consecutive years beginning in 1975 to 1977, and all of the victims were women, though Catherine Pooler was the youngest victim at 18 years old, Ellen was 24, and Janet was 30. These were surface-level similarities, and though police considered if they could somehow be related, there were not outward links between the victims or crimes. As I've learned through the years of researching homicide cases and speaking with detectives within the Maine State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit, investigations aren't about picking a theory and trying to prove it right. Instead,

it's about ruling out every possible scenario until one remains that can't be eliminated. In February of 1978, Maine State Police arrested 22-year-old Eugene Carter for the murder of Catherine Pooler following his confession to the killing. He was later tried twice for the crime. The first ended in mistrial when the jury was unable to return a verdict. Eugene Carter was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in Maine State Prison. Perhaps the connection between Catherine Pooler and Ellen Choate was ruled out following the conviction. Though court records indicate that Eugene Carter had a lifelong history of violence, the M.O., modus operandi, meaning the characteristic method of the case, was different. The medical examiner determined that Catherine had been strangled,

whereas Ellen Choate died of a gunshot wound to the head. There's been no further discussion, at least not publicly, in any available source material. As for the case of Janet Baxter, whose name you've heard on Dark Down East before, that investigation stood in limbo for over 20 years until DNA linked Albert Cochran to her 1976 murder in Norwich Walk, Maine. I cover Albert Cochran's history of crimes against women in the episode about Pauline Rourke's still unsolved disappearance. I'll link that case in the show description for you so you can double back to that story. I'm definitely left to wonder about Albert Cochran's connections to other crimes in the central Maine area. He died in 2017, but not before he was

convicted of Janet Baxter's murder. The MO here does align. Both Ellen and Janet were shot to death. When Albert Cochran killed Janet Baxter, he was living in Fairfield, Maine, about 25 minutes to Newport. It's not unreasonable to think that someone living in Fairfield could or would travel to New Port for any reason. But before this becomes too much of a workable theory, there's one major detail that eliminates Albert Cochran from the list and severs the speculated link between the cases of Ellen Choate and Janet Baxter. Albert Cochran was in prison in Illinois until 1976, a year after Ellen was killed. One speculated connection that was discussed early on in Ellen Choate's case was a possible

tie to the unsolved shooting death of Robert McKee, which also occurred in Newport, Maine, in June of 1975. The Biddeford Journal-Tribune reported in June of 1977 that the Maine State Police said the two murders might be linked. One theory was that Ellen witnessed the killing of Robert McKee and was herself murdered to prevent her from going to police with what she saw. This just doesn't make sense, though. Ellen Choate is assumed to have traveled through the Newport, Maine area on or around June 1, 1975, and she never showed up for her new job on June 2, 1975, leaving the assumption that she was killed between those two dates. Robert McKee was killed on June 20. However, in a 1994 piece for the Bangor Daily News,

Sharon Mack wrote that the police chief, Jim Ricker, maintained that the two cases were linked, though her reporting does not elaborate on what that link might be. What Robert McKee and Ellen Choate have in common right now, to this day, is that their 1975 murders remain unsolved. Their names are on the Maine State Police unsolved homicide list. Their surviving family members wait and wonder if closure will ever be their reality. There's one other name that comes up again and again when you speak about unsolved homicides in the central Maine area during the 70s, particularly unsolved cases in Newport and the greater Sebastakook Valley. The Maine State Police post case details and a photo of Ellen Choate on their

Facebook page on the anniversary of her murder each year. You don't have to scroll very far on the comment thread to see that particular name pop up when it comes to Ellen Schott's death. I even got some messages from you, Dark Down Easter's, when I released the episode about Robert McKee. That name is James Hicks, serial killer. His three known victims are his first wife, 23-year-old Jenny Hicks in 1977, 34-year-old Gerilyn Towers in 1982, and 40-year-old Lynn Willett in 1996. At the time of Jenny Hicks' disappearance and presumed death, the two were living in Carmel, Maine, about 15 minutes from Newport.

Gerilyn Towers disappeared from Newport, and Lynn Ouellette went missing from Brewer, Maine, where she was living with James Hicks, about 30 minutes from Newport. If I ever do cover the stories of Jenny, Gerilyn, and Lynn in their entirety, it will be with family members of the three women, if they're willing. James Hicks has gotten enough play in the true crime world, if you ask me. However, it deserves mention that police have considered the possibility that Hicks has more victims that are still unknown. Given the dates and locations of his crimes, it's not unreasonable to speculate a connection between James Hicks and the murder of Ellen Choate. James Hicks was arrested in April of 2000,

and with that came a revival of interest in the many unsolved homicides in central Maine at the time. Rich Hewitt and Jeff Tuttle reported on the arrest for the Bangor Daily News, noting that Maine authorities were interested in speaking with James Hicks about the murder of Ellen Choate. Whether those conversations ever happened, or proved valuable to Ellen's investigation, is unknown. A small detail about Ellen Choate was revealed that I didn't encounter anywhere else in my research. If accurate, the detail is

actually critical. Newport Police Chief Jim Ricker told the reporters that Ellen Schott had ties to Newport, Maine. She was known to stay with friends at a commune on the Stetson Road. So why does this detail feel critical to me? Well, if Ellen's intended destination was Bangor that day, it would make much less sense for her body to be found in Newport and might point to a hitchhiking ride with someone from out of town. However, if she planned to stop in Newport for any period of time during her travels and instead met her killer there, someone local to the area, it definitely changes who might be considered

a likely suspect for the murder. For clarity and to avoid speculation harmful to the case, there is no publicly available information that indicates Ellen ever made it to that commune or to a friend's house in the Newport area before she was killed. With unsolved homicides that date back three, four, and nearly five decades like Ellen Choate's, the potential for speaking with witnesses or uncovering any hard evidence dwindles with each year that passes.

Still, her case remains open. It has not been deemed unsolvable. The search for answers continues. On Thursday, October 30, 2014, a team of six Maine State Police investigators arrived in Newport, Maine, and began to survey an area of land just off the old County Road, now known as County Woods Road. The location was familiar to anyone who knew about the case of Ellen Choate from nearly 40 years earlier. It was where they found her body. In a statement made by then-spokesman for the Maine State Police, Stephen McCausland,

he said, quote, Ellen Choate was found in a shallow grave in Newport, and we have made the decision to revisit that area today, looking for additional evidence that might be related to the case, end quote. According to reporting by Evan Belanger for the Portland Press-Herald, state police did not disclose what, if anything, caused them to return to the scene with metal detectors in hand, just that it was part of the ongoing and still open investigation of Ellen Choate's death. According to a Bangor Daily News piece by Nocknoy Ricker about the same 2014 search, Ellen Choate got off a northbound Greyhound bus in Newport, and that was her last known movements. This is the only source material that mentions Ellen riding a bus into Newport, but again, if accurate,

the detail is critical. It only makes me want to know more about this case. There is no indication that investigators uncovered any new evidence during this 2014 search. At that time, and still to this day, no persons of interest or suspects have been named in the case. Ellen Linda Choate's murder still remains unsolved until new evidence or information reaches the light. Ellen's family remembered her as a very gentle person who loved being a teacher. Her mother told the Delaware County Times, quote, She was wonderful with children. She had the ability to make them learn and enjoy doing it. End quote. Getting to work in a Montessori school and guide children in their independent and creative learning was a dream job for Ellen. During Ellen's time practice teaching in Bangor, her mother said that Ellen had fallen in love with Maine.

With her dedication to schooling and love for work, it sounds like Ellen would have been a valuable addition to the children's house and a wonderful, supportive mentor to the students who attended. I still remember the teacher from my main Montessori school experience a million years ago now, Miss Ethel. I wonder what kind of impact Ellen would have had on those kids, what they would remember about her today, and what they missed out on because someone chose to steal her life. If you have any information about the death of Ellen Choate, please contact Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit North at 207-973-3750, or leave an anonymous tip with the tip form linked in the episode description and at darkdowneast.com. Thank you for listening to Dark Down East.

Sources for this episode are cited within the episode itself and include the Bangor Daily News, Biddeford Saco Journal, Portland Press-Herald, and more. Source material for this case and others is listed and linked at darkdowneast.com so you can do some more digging of your own. If you know of an active missing persons case in Maine or greater New England,

send me an email with the subject line missing to hello at darkdowneast.com. I will share the information on an upcoming episode of Dark Down East and at darkdowneast.com slash missing. Thank you for supporting this show and allowing me to do what I do. I'm honored to use

this platform for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still searching for answers in cold missing persons and homicide cases. I'm not about to let those names or their stories get lost with time. I'm Kylie Lowe and this is Dark Down East.