Body of missing Maine man found stuffed in barrel

A missing Maine man whose body was found last month was shot in the neck, stuffed in a barrel and thrown in a sandbox, police said Wednesday.

Alex Jackson, 34, was last seen alive on May 12, 2023 in Windham, Maine. His body was discovered on April 19, 2024, in Stark, New Hampshire, approximately 75 miles northwest of where he was last seen.

The alleged killer, Joseph Chute, 31, had a preliminary hearing Wednesday where police described the case and what they discovered after locating the body.

After killing Jackson, Chute dumped his body in a compost pile on his property, cops said. He then removed Jackson's body from the compost and put it in a barrel, authorities said.

According to police, Chute then asked his then-girlfriend to help him dispose of the barrel, and the two drove around Maine in an SUV looking for a place to dump it, the Lewiston Sun Journal.

Authorities said the two men eventually drove to a Chute family camp in New Hampshire, where they submerged the barrel in a shallow body of water, according to the Sun Journal.

Investigators have recovered limited physical evidence in the case and police cited testimony throughout Wednesday's preliminary hearing. Chute's ex-girlfriend was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony, the Sun Journal reported.

According to prosecutors, Chute owed Jackson money for a large piece of construction equipment and killed him instead.

Chute has pleaded not guilty in the case and his defense attorneys have cited a lack of physical evidence in the case. He is being held without bail.

“There is still a lot of evidence to review,” lawyer Verne Paradie said after the hearing. “There are a lot of unanswered questions.”

With news feed services