Background: News footage of the scene in Readfield, Maine where the body of Margeaux Whittemore was found in the driveway (WMTW). Inset: Sam Whittemore (Kennebec County Jail).
A Maine man was undergoing a mental health evaluation after he was charged with allegedly murdering his wife and accused of assaulting his mother.
Maine State Police said in a news release that on the morning of Feb. 19, a 911 call reported an “incident” at a home in Readfield, Maine. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the body of his wife, Margeaux Whittemore, 32, in the driveway of the home, reportedly unclothed. Inside the home, they found his mother, Dorothy Whittemore, 67, suffering from “critical” injuries. Sam Whittemore, 34, was tracked down by troopers after he allegedly fled the scene.
Police stated that Whittemore’s father, whose name was not provided by police, was not at the home at the time of the alleged incident but arrived shortly after.
Dorothy Whittemore’s condition was upgraded since she was taken to the hospital. Margeaux Whittemore’s body underwent an autopsy on Feb. 20. Her cause of death was not disclosed, but the medical examiner ruled the manner of death as homicide.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Sam Whittemore is an engineer who used to work for SpaceX. He stated that he currently uses his engineering skills to improve coral reef restoration. Margeaux Whittemore, a yoga teacher, kept an Instagram account that recorded her global travels, including with her husband, but had seemingly not been updated since October 2024.
The couple had been visiting Sam Whittemore’s parents at their home, according to the police. There was no information about what ensued to cause the alleged attacks on Sam Whittemore’s wife and mother.
Upon being taken into custody, Sam Whittemore was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation before being booked into the Kennebec County Jail. He was charged with murder and held without bail. He was initially expected to appear in court on Feb. 21, but via video conference, Whittemore’s lawyers cited a “competency issue,” according to reporting by WABI, a local CBS affiliate. The judge called for a competency evaluation as well as future status conference.
