SKOWHEGAN, Maine — Maine State Police say a 46-year-old Skowhegan woman whose death was under investigation has been ruled a homicide, and her boyfriend has been arrested on a murder warrant after a pursuit that ended in a crash and standoff in New Hampshire.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta identified the victim as Nicole Jackson. An autopsy conducted as part of an ongoing Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central investigation determined Jackson died from blunt force and sharp force trauma, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators identified Jackson’s boyfriend, 55-year-old Dane Burke of Skowhegan, as a suspect, police said. Burke was believed to be traveling in a 2018 silver Jeep Compass with Ohio license plates.
On Jan. 18, 2026, at about 8 a.m., the vehicle was located in Lowell, Massachusetts, police said. Local law enforcement attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver did not comply, leading to a pursuit. Massachusetts State Police joined, and the pursuit continued into New Hampshire.
The chase ended in Dunbarton, New Hampshire, when the vehicle left the roadway and crashed into a tree on Route 13 just north of Barnard Road, police said. Authorities said Burke then barricaded himself inside the vehicle. The New Hampshire State Police SWAT Team responded and took Burke into custody at about 10:30 a.m.
Burke was transported to Concord Hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening, police said. He was arrested on a Maine warrant charging him with murder and will remain in New Hampshire custody pending his return to Maine. Once released from the hospital, police said, he will be transported to a New Hampshire jail.
The investigation remains ongoing, police said, and additional updates will be provided when appropriate.
