Victim’s boyfriend still in jail Chief: Case should be wrapped up by today

PORTLAND – The boyfriend of a Rockport woman who was found dead in a 12th floor guest room at the Eastland Park Hotel remained behind bars Thursday as the investigation into the slaying continued.

Maxine Witham, 35, had been abused “numerous times” by David Haraden, who was in the room when police found her body Tuesday, Police Chief Michael Chitwood said.

Haraden, identified by police as a martial arts expert on probation for assaulting an officer in Massachusetts, was being held without bail at the Cumberland County Jail on a probation violation.

Chitwood would not identify Haraden or anyone else as a suspect but said he expected to wrap up the case by Friday.

Haraden, who has a black belt in tae kwon do, was charged with assaulting Witham in November 2003 but was not convicted because she declined to testify, the chief said.

Two months after the charge was dropped, police were called to the couple’s Rockport home and found Witham with her jaw broken in two places, Chitwood said.

Despite police suspicions about Haraden, Witham insisted that she had fallen down stairs, the chief added.