BOOTHBAY — About 200 people gathered Saturday afternoon on Boothbay Common to mourn the death by violence of four Boothbay Harbor residents in one week – including the double murder-suicide of three family members whose bodies were found on the Fourth of July.
The vigil included prayers and speeches by a half-dozen religious and social service leaders who spoke about the impact of the shocking deaths of four well-known community residents.
“It is impossible to wrap our minds around what happened, so we are here to wrap our arms around each other,” said the Rev. Sarah Foulger of the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor United Church of Christ.
Those mourned included Svend Jorgensen, 71, a Bath Iron Works retiree, who police said shot his wife, Carol, 75, at their 236 Lakeside Drive home, and his son, Eric Jorgensen, 40, a social studies teacher at Catherine McAuley High School in Portland, at his 46 Montgomery Road home, before turning the revolver on himself in his basement.
Their bodies were discovered by Boothbay Harbor police on July 4. Their deaths – believed to have occurred on July 1 or 2 – stunned friends and acquaintances, who said the violence seemed to have come out of nowhere.
The community was also mourning a 50-year-old Boothbay Harbor resident who committed suicide in late June.
The motive for the Jorgensen murder-suicide remains a mystery that may never be solved. Police said a suicide note was found next to Svend Jorgensen’s body listing real estate holdings but providing no explanation for his actions.
Several speakers at Saturday’s vigil talked about the role of domestic violence in the Jorgensen deaths. The Rev. Peter Panagore of the First Radio Parish Church of America said victims of domestic violence live lives of desperation.
“Pray for the victims to give them courage. Give them hope their victimhood will end,” Panagore said.
Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Robert Hasch spoke about the effects of violent deaths on emergency responders in small towns such as Boothbay Harbor, which has a year-round population of 2,150.
Hasch said emergency responders are all capable of maintaining their composure on the job but the scenes of violence can come back to haunt them.
“Most of us know each other directly or indirectly,” Hasch said.
He described how tough it can be to see the bodies of people he knew from happy times, having looked into their eyes as a teammate or friend.
“They are wearing a coat you know they often wore or you see something they owned,” Hasch said.
Hasch said at the same time, a small community also provides comfort during times of tragedy, which he discovered during a recent walk through town when he was repeatedly approached by well-wishers.
“I want to thank you all for wrapping your arms around the victims, the people left behind and us,” Hasch said.
The crowd held hands and formed a circle around nearly the entire common. They wished one another peace and hugged.
Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at:
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