ROCKLAND — The Knox County grand jury met March 5 and handed down 25 counts against nine defendants. An indictment does not imply guilt.

Joseph R. Dinapoli, 30, of Cushing, was indicted for terrorizing, disorderly conduct and domestic violence assault. The alleged incidents occurred at Oceanside Middle School in Thomaston November 2018. According to the indictment, the school officials kept the students in a designated area during a school program due to the alleged threat.

Jennifer R. Marriner, 39, of Rockland, was indicted for unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs and conspiracy to traffic in cocaine base and/or fentanyl in Rockland during April and May 2018; two counts of trafficking in cocaine base, a schedule W drug and violation of a condition of release in Rockland in November 2018.

Sarah Richards, 37, of South Thomaston, was indicted for the intentional, knowing or depraved indifference in a murder and theft by unauthorized taking or transfer of more than $1,000 in Owls Head in February.

The details regarding the investigation, which led to the arrest of Richards for the murder of Helen Carver, were released March 7 in an affidavit from the Maine State Police filed in Knox County Superior Court, two days after the grand jury met March 5.

Richards was arrested by the Maine State Police Feb. 22 and charged with allegedly murdering Carver. She made her initial court appearance in Knox County Superior Court Feb. 25.

She has been held at the Knox County Jail in Rockland since her arrest.

According to the affidavit, on Feb. 21, Carver’s son, Robert, spoke with this mother by telephone for approximately 10 minutes shortly before 11 a.m. He told police that his mother informed him during their conversation that Richards had allegedly stolen her debit card. She said that she had reported the theft to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Feb. 14.

Police had obtained multiple videos of Richards using Carver’s debit card, according to the affidavit.

Witness reports and other evidence document that Richards and a man, who is not named in the police affidavit, leaving Carver’s house shortly about 11:30 a.m., Feb. 21.

Richards and the man were located Feb. 22 and they admitted to police that they were at Carver’s home between 11 and 11:30 a.m. to remove snow, the report said. Police said that Richards had been employed by Carver to shovel her walkway during the winter.

She stated that when she went inside the home and spoke with Carver, she was in good shape when she left, the report said. Richards said she did some small things for Carver inside of her home before leaving, like turning on her television and getting her phone for her.

Richards admitted to police that she had previously stolen and used Carver’s debit card, the report said.

She later changed her story and told police that when she arrived at Carver’s home, she was on the floor, dead and that she provided lifesaving efforts before leaving the house, according to the affidavit.

Richards then told police that when she went into the home, Carver was upset that she had stolen her debit card and “came at her” so she lunged at the elderly woman and tackled her into an entertainment center, the report said. She told police that she also struck Carver in the head with a tool, not defined in the police affidavit, she had brought into the home.

The Maine Chief Medical Examiner’s Office determined from an autopsy completed Feb. 22 that the cause of death was homicide caused by blunt force trauma with evidence of strangulation, according to the affidavit.

Richards has a criminal record with past convictions of theft and drug trafficking, some listed under her former married name, Sarah Stalcup.

Ashley Robinson, 32, of Cushing, was indicted for unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs and conspiracy for traffic in cocaine base, a schedule W drug, and/or fentanyl in Warren during October and November 2018.

Michael R. Salmons, 30, of Quincy Mass., was indicted for unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, cocaine base, a schedule W drug; conspiracy to commit unlawful trafficking by supplying cocaine base to others engaged in drug trafficking in Warren during October and November 2018.

John D. Seaver, 39, of East Waterboro, was indicted for criminal operating under the influence and operating without a license in Rockland July 11, 2018. Seaver failed to submit to a test at the request of law enforcement, according to the indictment.

Milorad Stanivukovic, 33, of Cushing, was indicted for aggravated assault in Cushing April 21, 2018.

Anita Volpe, 73, of Venice, Fla., formerly of Rockland and a retired attorney, was indicted for three counts of theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, two counts of misuse of entrusted property, a Class B crime and one count of misuse of entrusted property, a Class C crime.

According to the indictment, Volpe allegedly stole more than $10,000 each from three different woman from October 2012 through April 2018.

The indictment referred to the three victims as being “vulnerable.”

Lawrence A. Wooton Jr., 52, of Rockland, was indicted for unlawful possession of cocaine in Rockland Sept. 6, 2017.

Sarah Shepherd can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com