The Portland Police Department arrested a suspect on murder charges on Wednesday in connection with the 2017 killing of Sunao “Tom” Yamada following nearly nine years of investigation.
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On Wednesday morning, Portland officers arrested Stephen Versluis, Jr., on murder charges related to the death of Yamada, following what the police department referred to as a “detailed and exhaustive” investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing that has lasted for nearly nine years.
Yamada was found dead in the area of Temple and Federal Street in Portland in the early morning of September 10, 2017.
After Yamada’s body was discovered, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and deemed his death to be a homocide.
Police described Yamada as a valued member of the community with meaningful friendships across the city.
The FBI Boston Division Cold Case Team, Seacoast Crime Stoppers, the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office all assisted in the investigation.
Police provided few details on the circumstances surrounding the arrest or allege murder.
Versluis was transported to the Cumberland County Jail.
He is a registered sex offender following a 2004 conviction for sexual abuse of a minor in Androscoggin County.
