Slaying victim a pregnant woman Bangor police name no suspects in death

BANGOR – The woman found killed inside her Bangor mobile home Monday was about eight months pregnant, and whoever killed her also killed several cats whose bodies also were found inside the home at Rainbow Trailer Park.

Police would not confirm that Heather Sargent, formerly Heather Fliegelman, was pregnant, but relatives and other sources confirmed that information Tuesday.

That she was pregnant will not affect the charges against her killer. No matter how late-term the pregnancy, Maine’s homicide law does not apply to unborn fetuses.

Police continued to be tight-lipped Tuesday about the investigation and the unusual circumstances surrounding the death of Heather Sargent.

Sargent’s husband, Roscoe Sargent, 28, of Bangor, turned himself in to federal authorities Monday morning, saying he wanted to be taken into custody. Roscoe Sargent had been out on bail since January 2001 when he and Heather Sargent were arrested on federal drug charges.

On Monday, he suddenly asked that his bail be revoked. Roscoe Sargent now is being held on federal drug charges at the Penobscot County Jail. He has not been charged in his wife’s death, and Bangor police detective Sgt. Mark Hathaway stressed Tuesday that the investigation was “wide open” and said detectives were not focusing on any one person.

On Tuesday he was not calling Roscoe Sargent a suspect in his wife’s death.

Meanwhile, Roscoe Sargent’s attorney, Brett Baber, said he was in the process of trying to get the state to appoint another attorney to represent his client during the homicide investigation.

Baber said he assumed Bangor police would want to interview Roscoe Sargent and noted that Sargent should have an attorney to consult with. Baber represented Roscoe Sargent on the drug charges, but said Monday night he would not represent him should any “state” charges be filed against him.

On Tuesday the Bangor Police Department’s mobile crime lab remained parked in front of the mobile home at 7 Rainbow Trailer Park as investigators continued to comb the home for evidence.

Heather Sargent’s body was removed from the home late Monday night.

According to records at Bangor City Hall, Heather Fliegelman and Roscoe Sargent were married in Bangor on June 23, 2001.

The couple was living together in January 2001 when Bangor police raided their Market Street apartment and allegedly seized 11 pounds of marijuana along with hallucinogenic mushrooms. Those are the federal drug charges Roscoe Sargent still faces, though there were no records to indicate that any drug charges were pursued against Heather Sargent.

Those who knew the couple said they often could be seen walking along Union Street on their way to Shop ‘n Save at the Airport Mall. Roscoe Sargent is described as a very tall and lanky man with blond hair, while Heather Sargent was described as shorter and stockier.

On Tuesday, Hathaway would not reveal the cause of death nor discuss whether he anticipated charges being filed against Roscoe Sargent.

“This investigation is continuing. We are looking at this with an open mind and not focusing on one person. We are being very methodical and thorough,” said Hathaway.