HOWLAND – A body tentatively identified as that of a Freeport musician who went missing during an annual outdoor party hosted by University of Maine students was recovered Wednesday, but officials don’t yet know how he died or the circumstances leading to his disappearance.

A body believed to be that of 24-year-old Dean Levasseur was found in thick woods in Howland on Wednesday morning several hundred yards from where he was last seen Saturday night.

Maine State Police, who are heading the investigation, said a cause of death was not known. An autopsy is expected Thursday.

“Detectives say there’s no indication of foul play and the cause of death will await the medical examiner’s findings,” State Police spokesman Steve McCausland said.

Levasseur was scheduled to play with a band during Chickenfest, an unsanctioned party held off a logging road in Howland. The party is an annual event held in a secret location that draws hundreds of young people and features multiple musical performances.

Levasseur was supposed to play with a band but disappeared before the 11 p.m. performance, leaving behind his guitar on a makeshift stage. Wardens, state police, family members, friends and others searched the area for days before the body was found.

Maine Warden Service Lt. Kevin Adam told reporters the body was found by a search dog and its handler. The search was difficult because of thick undergrowth that limited visibility, he said.

 

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