ROCKLAND – A woman was shot to death Friday and her husband dodged bullets outside their trucking business after a lunchtime meeting to end her romantic relationship with a company driver, police said.
The driver, Douglas Dyer, 31, of Friendship, fled in his pickup truck moments after Allison Small, 30, of Vinalhaven collapsed on a snow-covered parking lot outside the building at 61 New County Road.
Her husband, Brandon Small, 28, was shot at but escaped injury and called police.
Nearly four hours later, Dyer turned himself in to police in nearby Waldoboro, where he was questioned Friday evening. He was charged with murder and was taken to Knox County Jail.
According to Maine State Police Lt. Tim Doyle, the Smalls had a “prearranged meeting” at their business, Vinalhaven Transportation Inc., with Dyer “to break up a relationship” between Dyer and Allison Small.
Apparently the meeting began inside the one-story brick building and “spilled outside,” Doyle said. The husband witnessed his wife’s shooting and was fired at, too, Doyle said.
Deputy Police Chief Wallace Tower said Allison Small was already dead when emergency crews arrived.
Doyle would not say how many shots were fired or how many times Allison Small was shot. Police also would not say what type of weapon was used, but that they believe all the shots were fired outside.
“I heard three shots,” said Bruce Devarney, 56, who lives two houses down from the business housed in what is known as the Bunkers building. Small was shot while standing between two trucks and close to a white minivan.
There were about five seconds between each shot fired, he said. “I knew what it was. I knew it was a gunshot, but didn’t [know someone had been shot].”
The building is owned by John L. Levenseler and leased to Vinalhaven Transportation. It is located across from George C. Hall & Sons offices.
Stephen McCausland, spokesman for Maine State Police, said Rockland police had gone to the business at least once in recent days for some sort of conflict between the three people.
Jim Howard, who owns Jim Howard Millwork, a custom cabinetry business also housed in the Bunkers building, said Dyer has been a driver for Vinalhaven Transportation.
Dyer “does all the trucking and [Allison Small] does all the phones,” Howard said. “There was some extracurricular activities going on,” he said, referring to Small and Dyer’s relationship. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe Dougie would do something like that.”
After Dyer fled in his Dodge pickup Friday afternoon, police searched area roads, parks and lighthouses by cruiser and state police airplane.
State police said Dyer drove to the Waldoboro police station in the pickup truck about 4:30 p.m.
Detectives interviewed Dyer at the Waldoboro station, then he was taken to Knox County Jail, McCausland said.
He is to appear in 6th District Court in Rockland on Monday.
An autopsy on Small’s body is scheduled for today by the state medical examiner’s office, McCausland said. It will determine the number of wounds and their locations. The crime lab will examine Dyer’s truck Monday.
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