Maine State Police announced on Monday that they had arrested Jayme Schnackenberg, 39, in connection to the murder of his girlfriend, Kimberly Hardy, 42. Hardy had been reported missing on June 18, and her loved ones had not heard from her since June 16. The couple lived together on School Street in Monticello, a small town on the U.S.-Canada border with a population of about 740 people.
According to a missing person post from the Houlton Police Department, Hardy had left her “beloved” cat and other important personal belongings, including cancer medication, at home. Maine State Police began an investigation that led them to Harvey Siding Road, where Maine game wardens found Hardy’s body in a wooded area. The Chief Medical Examiner’s Officer in Augusta will perform an autopsy to determine Hardy’s cause and manner of death.
Schnackenberg made his initial court appearance on Tuesday after his Monday arrest. Hardy’s Facebook page shows that the couple started dating in February 2022. Maine State Police said in a Facebook post that “Evidence Response Team members and Detectives will continue to investigate at several scenes.”
The arrest of Schnackenberg has left the small town of Monticello in shock. According to local residents, the couple had been together for several months and had seemed happy. The news of Hardy’s murder has devastated her family and friends, who are struggling to come to terms with their loss.