The Murder of Maxine Bitomski

[pensive music] Kittery, Maine, is a small coastal town on the river bordering New Hampshire.

It's Maine's southernmost town.

Founded as a settlement in 1623, Kittery is one of the most historic in the country, even claiming to be the oldest incorporated town in Maine.

The neighborhoods are still lined with quaint Cape Cod style homes.

On a Friday night in the winter of 1993, the middle school down the street had a Saturday showing of 18 Nervous Gumshoes, a play also known as Murder at Crooked House.

The play is a lighthearted spoof of an Agatha Christie style whodunit, and as many as 300 people braved the evening chill to catch the performance.

Parents and children left footprints in the midwinter snow along Colonial Road.

73-year-old Maxine Podgorski, a longtime resident of the neighborhood, stayed inside her small white home that night.

Her granddaughter, Candice, came over to visit, as she regularly did.

They were planning a genealogy project for the family.

She'd even bought a history book they'd use as a guide.

Candice and Maxine had a lovely evening.

There was nothing to indicate any nervousness or distress that would betray the violence that would later take place that night.

Even after she left, Candice and Maxine continued their conversation on the phone.

A few hours after this call, Maxine watched a taped segment of that night's Kittery Town Council meeting.

Around 11:30 PM, she called a female friend, likely to kibitz about the meeting, and turned in for the night.

That was the last time anyone spoke to Maxine.

Half an hour later, neighbors noticed the motion sensor lights had activated behind her house, illuminating the backyard.

At around 3:00 AM, the man delivering Maxine's newspaper noticed the side door was ajar and one of its glass panes had been smashed, but he didn't notify the police.

As the sun rose, neighbors also noticed a few things amiss.

Maxine's shades were still drawn by the early afternoon.

The same door was still open despite Maine's winter temperatures.

But they, too, did not contact authorities.

At around 3:00 PM, Maxine's grandson, Christopher, stopped by for a visit.

At the entrance, he noticed the shattered glass from the door's window pane.