Portland Police are finally closing a murder case after more than 30 years after identifying the suspect.
Officers say Vicki E. McMahan of Portland, who has since died, was responsible for a fire at an apartment building on Washington Street that killed 73-year-old Maude Holden.
The fire, which took place in 1994, was later ruled an arson.
Police say McMahan was conclusively linked to the crime through an exhaustive review of evidence and investigative findings.
McMahan was 28 at the time of the crime and was 57 at the time of her death in 2023.
“This case reflects the persistence and dedication of our investigators, who never gave up on finding justice for Ms. Holden,” said Portland Police Chief Mark Dubois in a statement.
The department says that while they cannot erase the loss for the family of Ms. Holden, they can finally provide them with the truth about what happened.
Portland Police say it marks the fifth formerly unsolved homicide case to be closed in the last five years.
