Jaded Evidence · Interactive investigation
Linda Maxwell: Raymond Brown Cold-Case Murder Conviction
Washington County, Maine · CR-25-20128
Current legal status: Guilty verdict October 8, 2026; sentencing not yet verified.
Next event: Sentencing and any appeal — dates pending
Explore the people, chronology, evidence and court decisions below. Allegations, testimony, attorney positions and judicial conclusions are labeled separately.
02 | Victim background
Linda Maxwell was 18 when her body was found along the St. Croix River in August 1984. The investigation remained unresolved for decades before the 2025 indictment and 2026 trial.
03 | People and documented roles
Raymond Brown is the defendant convicted at trial. Maine State Police conducted the renewed investigation. Defense attorney Steven Smith disputed the sufficiency of the evidence after the verdict, according to WABI.
View More — Defendant profile and legal posture
Guilty verdict October 8, 2026; sentencing not yet verified.
A lawyer’s role, a charging decision and a judicial ruling are different kinds of information. The case file identifies only roles supported by the sources below.
04 | Interactive event-by-event timeline
Select an event to expand its evidence and limits. Future hearings and trial settings are identified as future events.
View More — August 1984 — Maxwell’s death investigated
Police identify the 1984 death as the subject of the reopened case.
Time: Exact time is not established in the reviewed sources.
Evidence / source: Maine State Police — May 1, 2025 arrest
Disputed information / limits: The exact sequence must be assessed from evidence rather than later recollection alone.
View More — May 1, 2025 — Indictment and arrest
A Washington County grand jury indicted Brown; State Police announced the arrest.
Time: Exact time is not established in the reviewed sources.
Evidence / source: Maine State Police — May 1, 2025 arrest
Disputed information / limits: The indictment preceded and was distinct from the trial verdict.
View More — October 5–8, 2026 — Trial evidence
Reporting describes renewed investigative work and disputed witness accounts.
Time: Exact time is not established in the reviewed sources.
Evidence / source: WABI — October 8 evidence and verdict
Disputed information / limits: Witness credibility and gaps in the older investigation were contested.
View More — October 8, 2026 — Murder conviction
WABI reported a guilty verdict; sentencing was left for a later date.
Time: Exact time is not established in the reviewed sources.
Evidence / source: WABI — October 8 evidence and verdict
Disputed information / limits: No final sentence or appellate outcome is established.
05 | Investigation and evidence
Open an evidence card to see what the record supports and what still needs verification.
View More — Original indictment
The court-hosted PDF identifies the offense alleged and the historical date. It is a primary charging record.
View More — Renewed investigation
WABI describes investigative testimony about re-interviews and later review of physical evidence.
View More — Witness reliability
The defense challenged a jailhouse witness and differing accounts about Maxwell’s ring. Those disputes belong to the trial record, even after a conviction.
06 | Prosecution and defense
View More — Prosecution position
The indictment alleged intentional or knowing murder. At trial, the State presented a cold-case reconstruction, witness accounts and reported admissions; the jury returned a guilty verdict.
View More — Defense position
The defense challenged the completeness of the original investigation and the credibility of a jailhouse witness. Counsel’s reported plan to appeal is an intention, not proof that an appellate court has ruled.
07 | Trial testimony and courtroom developments
The case has moved from trial scheduling to a guilty-verdict posture. The official Maine Judicial Branch page supplies a durable starting point for public case documents.
View More — Read the proceeding in context
A reported question, an attorney’s argument, an admitted exhibit and a court’s finding are not interchangeable. Where a full transcript, exhibit or signed order has not been obtained, the gap is identified rather than filled with an inferred result.
08 | Verdicts, sentencing and appeals
Brown was convicted of murder on October 8. The sentence and any appellate filing require further record verification.
View More — Outcome and source limits
Sentencing and any appeal — dates pending
Future settings can change. The sources identify whether this entry is based on a filed record, an official announcement or attributed court reporting. A source check does not establish that no later filing exists.
09 | Unresolved questions
- Retrieve the signed verdict and sentencing order when available.
- Confirm whether an appeal has actually been filed.
- Review original exhibits and testimony before assigning forensic significance to an untested item.
10 | Court records and source documents
- Maine State Police — May 1, 2025 arrest
- Maine Judicial Branch — indictment PDF
- WABI — October 8 evidence and verdict
- Maine Judicial Branch — public case page
View More — Verification and editorial notes
This case file was reconciled with Jaded Evidence’s master trial records and the public sources listed above. The source descriptions preserve the difference between a primary court document, an official party announcement and reporting. A prosecution release states the prosecution’s account; it is not a substitute for a verdict.
The page links to available originals and clearly identified reporting. Missing transcripts, exhibits, expert reports or signed orders are listed as research gaps. No quotation, timestamp, forensic result or ruling is supplied from inference.