Millinocket man sentenced in attempted drowning

By Dawn Gagnon
BDN Staff

DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — A Millinocket man who was arrested in May in connection with the attempted drowning of a woman in Greenville was sentenced to eight years in jail, with all but 4½ years suspended, during a hearing Monday at the Piscataquis County Courthouse.

Galen Thibodeau, 45, also was ordered to undergo three years of probation upon completing his prison sentence, Piscataquis County District Attorney R. Christopher Almy said Monday.

Thibodeau was arrested on May 1 on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault. He was indicted on June 25 on one count each of attempted murder, a Class A crime, aggravated assault, a Class B crime, and assault, a Class C crime.

On Monday, Thibodeau pleaded no contest to aggravated assault, Almy said. The attempted murder charge was dropped.

Almy said earlier that Thibodeau tried to drown a Greenville woman in a water-filled culvert outside her home on April 15 after a dispute between the woman and Thibodeau’s girlfriend at the time.

At the time of his arrest, Thibodeau was on probation for a previous domestic violence conviction when he was arrested in connection with the alleged attempted drowning. The victim in that case is not the same woman involved in the alleged drowning.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 1-866-834-4357, TRS 1-800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.