Loved ones and domestic violence resource nonprofits gather to honor and remember Virginia Cookson
BANGOR -- October is National Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. On Tuesday, October 1st, family, friends, and community members walked through downtown Bangor to honor and remember Virginia Cookson, a Bangor woman who was found dead in her 200 Larkin Street Bangor home on Wednesday, September 25th.
"In Maine, 50% of homicides are domestic violence related," said Casey Faulkingham, Development and Engagement Director for Partners For Peace. "Which is really a sobering thought to think that if you are killed in the state of Maine more likely than not that is an intimate partner or a family member that is doing that harm."
"This has got to end," said Patrisha McLean, Founder and CEO of Finding Our Voices. "Maine has got to start taking domestic violence abuse seriously."
The two domestic violence resource nonprofits, along with Cookson's loved ones, and Richard Thorpe's ex-wife Darcia Maney all joined together at West Market Square and walked through downtown Bangor.
On Monday, September 30th, Thorpe was denied bail and is currently being held at the Penobscot County Jail for allegedly murdering Cookson.
"In August, his face came across my Facebook as someone I might know and that's when I started researching. Finding out, yeah he's out. He has a girlfriend, this poor girl," said Maney. "I almost reached out to her to warn her and I didn't and that's where my guilt comes in because his ex had warned me and I didn't believe her. I didn't know they were already going through issues before so I don't know I might've saved her life."
Maney was married to Thorpe from 2016 until their divorce in 2021. She says Thorpe abused her too. Maney says Thorpe was arrested on domestic violence charges in 2020 and was sentenced to 10 years but was released after only 4.
"I was on death's door when my five-year-old walked in and saved my life," said Maney.
"He never should've gotten out," said Dezarae Caron, an Ambassador for Finding Our Voices who is also a survivor. "I actually sent him back to prison when Darcia, who's my friend, he hurt her really bad. I reached out to his probation officer and got him sent back. He was only in jail for another week and then was right back out again."
"We're gathering out of love for Virginia Cookson and outrage over a system in Maine that coddles the most dangerous people out there which are violent domestic abusers," said McLean. "We want to know who let him out, the person who's charged with her murder, on early release and what program and that program needs to end."
"Breaks my heart every day. Nobody knows what it's like to know you might've been able to help somebody and you didn't because you didn't think she'd believe you and now she's not here and that's why I'm here because I want to be her voice," said Maney. "It's not fair to her, her daughter, her family, her friends, and for them to reach out to me over this is amazing. She had amazing people surrounding her and so they reached out to me and I will wrap my arms around every single one of them."
During their walk through downtown Bangor, they stopped and gathered outside the Penobscot County Jail where Thorpe is currently being held.
During that time, one woman stood before the group and said, "He needs to know we loved her. I loved her with all my heart and the day I got the call my heart was ripped out of my chest."
When asked, if Virginia was here today what would you tell her? Maney responded with, "What would I tell her? To come home with me. I'll keep you safe."
Following Tuesday afternoon's protest, Finding Our Voices held a survivor-led public forum at Eastern Maine Community College as part of the nonprofits month-long statewide Let's Talk About It Tour.
To learn more about Finding Our Voices, click here.