Maine Memory Network

Contributed by Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media

Description

Investigators dig on the 35 acre Cote farm in North Gorham searching for the body of William Sanborn. Sandborn was the first husband of Lottie Cote. He went missing on June 20 1910, leaving behind Lottie and their three children Roland, Ralph and Susie. Lottie told police that he had forged her name on notes that were due, and ran away fearing the consequences. Sandborn left behind his best clothes and favorite pipe he was rarely seen without. It was assumed that Sandborn fled to Canada.

14 years later in 1924 Lottie's second husband Alphonso Cote was murdered. This murder along with a series of other disappearances on the farm property (including two hired workers who went missing in the middle of the night) called for further investigation of William Sandborn's disappearance.

Sandborn's body was never found.

View/Add Comments

---

About This Item

• Title: Cote murder case, Gorham, 1924
• Creation Date: 1924
• Subject Date: 1924
• Location: Gorham, Cumberland County, ME
• Media: Glass Negative
• Dimensions: 8.3 cm x 10.8 cm
• Local Code: Coll. 1949, 2005.061.9488
• Collection: Portland Press Herald glass negative collection
• Object Type: Image

---

Cross Reference Searches

Standardized Subject Headings

• Criminal investigations--Maine--Gorham
• Croplands--Maine--Gorham
• Farms--Maine--Gorham
• Homicides--Maine--Gorham

People

• Cote, Alphonso
• Cote, Lottie
• Fielding, Charles H.
• Sandborn, Ralph
• Sandborn, William

Other Keywords

• Cote Murder Case
• Fields
• Murder cases

---

For more information about this item, contact:

Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media
489 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
Website

---

---

Please post your comment below to share with others. If you'd like to privately share a comment or correction with MMN staff, please send us a message with this link.