On January 20, 2022, 59-year-old George White made his way to the podium in a room full of cameras and local reporters. Troubled and timorous, his voice quivered as he began speaking. George fondly described his grandmother, Maxine Bitomski, stating she was “the type of person everyone wishes to have in their life.” She was kind, and most of all, family oriented. All of her grandchildren adored her, and he recounted tender memories of weekends and holidays spent at her home in Kittery, Maine. Her home was so dear to her; she had spent most of her life with her husband and family there. But in 1993, her life was taken from her in the very place she felt most secure. In a desperate plea, George implored anyone who had information regarding his grandmother’s homicide to come forward.
In the succeeding instant, the unease and despair George had displayed gave way to an indignation that perhaps only people in his position can truly understand. His face and body language shifted. Now with a more commanding presence, he went on:
“The individual who broke into her home that evening and murdered a 73-year-old, defenseless woman, is a monster and a coward and needs to be held accountable for what happened. Our grandmother deserves justice.”
George retreated from the podium and relinquished control of the room to Lieutenant Scott Gosselin, who addressed questions from the press. George can be seen standing in the background, a photograph of his beloved grandmother clasped in his hands.
January 16, 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of Maxine Bitomski’s brutal and senseless end.
Maxine Bitomski was last seen on Friday, January 15, 1993, by her granddaughter, Candus. They had visited at Maxine’s home earlier in the day, and Candus later called her grandmother in the evening to check in on her. Maxine told Candus at the time of their conversation that she would be going to bed shortly. She watched a televised Kittery, Maine Town Council meeting, and telephoned a friend. The two conversed until nearly midnight.
The following morning, a delivery driver for the Portsmouth Herald approached Maxine’s home on Colonial Road to deliver her newspaper. He observed a partially open door at the side of the home, and caught sight of shattered glass from one of its window panes. Despite the suspicious circumstances, the driver did not report his discovery to police. Though it seems peculiar, several neighbors also report noticing the same broken glass and none called the authorities. Perhaps a testament to the overall sense of safety in the small seacoast area, nobody suspected any sort of crime, let alone one of such an appalling nature.
When Maxine’s grandson entered her home, the first sign that something was amiss was the array of shattered glass on the floor. As he walked through the residence, it was obvious that an intense struggle had taken place. Multiple pieces of furniture were found broken inside the home.
Maxine was located, nude, in her bathtub. Her official cause of death has never been released. Both the Kittery and the Maine State Police have held details regarding the crime scene close to the vest, revealing and/or corroborating very little. All details known have come from Maxine’s family over the many years in which her case has gone unsolved.
Just over a year after Maxine was murdered, a woman gardening found a plastic bag underneath a bush behind Hillside Gardens, just a short distance from Maxine’s home. The mysterious K-Mart bag contained tissues, candy wrappers, pajamas, a robe, and an inhaler with Maxine Bitomski’s name written down the side.
In recent years, the Maine State Police have announced their renewed focus on the case, and on a credible suspect. Lieutenant Scott Gosselin divulged that this person was scrutinized very closely in the initial stages of the investigation. He stated that the advancement of DNA technology and additional information obtained through new interviews with witnesses has been instrumental in the momentum of the case. He has, time and time again, reiterated that even the most seemingly miniscule bits of information could be vitally important.
Just after the January 2022 press conference detailing new movement in Maxine’s case, the Seacoast Crime Stoppers based out of neighboring Portsmouth, New Hampshire, announced their donation of a $10,000.00 reward for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of Maxine Bitomski’s killer. Contact information for the Seacoast Crime Stoppers and the Maine State Police can be found below this article.
It feels as if the Maine State Police may be on the precipice of an arrest, but require more information to secure an airtight indictment that would lead to a conviction beyond reasonable doubt. Any information, no matter how trivial, could be the missing piece investigators need to bring this 30-year-long nightmare to an end for a grieving family. Please utilize any of the below resources if you know anything regarding the death of Maxine Bitomski.
***Any tips or related information regarding the murder of Maxine Bitomski can be forwarded to us at our Contact Page, to the Maine State Police at: https://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/about/report-crime/major-crimes-unit-central, or to Seacoast Crime Stoppers at: (207) 439-1199.
Sources:
WGME CBS 13. News Conference on Maine Cold Case. 2022 Jan 20.
