The Maine State Police and Piscataquis Sheriff’s Department arrested a Guilford man on Sunday after a seriously injured couple was found in a Guilford home and the man succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
At approximately 7:19 p.m., the Piscataquis Sheriff’s Department requested assistance from the State Police after responding to an apparent assault on Guilford’s Pine Street.
The Sheriff’s Department responded to 24 Pine Street for a welfare check and discovered two adults, a man and a woman, suffering from serious injuries at nearby 26 Pine Street.
The couple was transported to a local hospital, where the man later succumbed to his injuries and where the woman remains in critical condition.
The deceased was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which will perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Due to the complexity of the investigation, the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit – North will take the lead.
Following the initial investigation, law enforcement arrested Ryan Carleton, 49, of Guilford, on charges of aggravated assault.
His charges are set to be elevated following an arraignment on Tuesday.
It is not clear why he is not facing murder or manslaughter charges after one of his alleged victims died.
Details on the incident remain scant, but State Police say they will release more information as it becomes available.
Carleton was previously convicted in 2021 of killing his father’s kitten with a frying pan and threatening to murder a corrections officer.
