Portland police hold boyfriend on murder charge after finding woman’s body

PORTLAND — A 28-year-old man was being held on a murder charge Wednesday after police discovered the body of his live-in girlfriend during the early morning hours.

Lt. Richard Rizzo said Roland R. White was being held in the death of Monika M. Malcolm, 29. Authorities did not release the suspected cause of death, although an autopsy was being performed late in the day, Rizzo said.

Rizzo said authorities were called at 1:52 a.m. by a man who said he wanted to show them a female assault victim. Police met the man at a convenience store parking lot, and they then discovered Ms. Malcolm’s body, the lieutenant said.

He did not know whether any weapons had been recovered as detectives spent the day searching the scene of the killing, an apartment at 690 Congress St.

On the advice of prosecutors, Rizzo said, police were withholding the identity of the man who phoned them.

Arraignment for White probably would be Thursday, Rizzo said.