By all accounts, Bowdoinham is just like any other small Maine town. It’s got restaurants, shops and schools. It has residents who have lived there all their lives. But, like other small towns around the country, it also has a past. This particular story from the past is truly chilling. It includes a family, a murder and a grizzly scene that must have felt straight out of a horror film.

The Purington Family spent most of their lives in Bowdoinham, Maine until moving to Augusta in the early 1800s.
formulanone / Flickr
Capt. James Purington lived a fairly normal life on a farm with his wife and 8 children. Until the early morning hours of July 11th, 1806.
alwaysme73 / Flickr
On the evening of July 10th, Capt. Purington sharpened his axe and went to bed reading the bible. At some point in the early morning hours of July 11th, he emerged from bed, retrieving his axe with the sole intent of killing his entire family.
megantedrow / Flickr
Having been awakened by the screams of his mother, the 17-year-old son of Capt. Purington came rushing from his room. He was met by his father who attempted to kill him with the axe but missed, only hitting him in the back.

At this point a younger son woke up, tried to run out of the room and was killed by his father. During this scuffle, the 17-year old son was able to escape and run to a neighbor.

He wasn’t fast enough.

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During this time, Capt. Purington ripped through the home killing everyone, from his oldest daughter to an 18-month-old infant. From the appearances of the wounds, it seems as though Capt. Purington was attempting to behead the family. But why?
gryphtor / Flickr
The answer lies in a letter written to his brother in the weeks leading up to the murders. In it, he tells his brother that he plans to be dead by the time the letter arrives, instructing his brother to care for his family.

But, the letter was found by his wife who confronted her husband. Assuring her that he had no plans to commit suicide, the matter seemed to have been dropped by all but the Captain.
Locals report that the he had recently spoken of being destitute and that he worried about how he would feed his family. His farm was in bad shape and he took on the appearance of someone who felt they had no way out.
svacher / Flickr
Two of his children survived the attack. The son who escaped and a daughter who also managed to leave with minimal injuries.
megantedrow / Flickr
The murder is one of the worst domestic violences incidences of the time. With no conclusive answers, the motive for the murders remains a bit of a mystery.

Another scary story from Maine is this one. It includes a college dorm and a haunting that most people believe is real.

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