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A nursing instructor and her husband were killed during a home invasion in Maine early Friday, and the suspect is a tenant who was arrested in the home, according to reports.
Troy Varney, 52, was unresponsive, and Dulsie Varney, 48, was in medical distress when state police and deputies from the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department were called to the home at about 1:30 a.m. Friday; both died later at a hospital, said Katherine England, state police spokesperson.
Patrick Maher, 24, of Turner, was charged with two counts of murder and was held at the Androscoggin County Jail, England said.
It was unclear whether Maher had an attorney.
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Dulsie was a nursing instructor who worked at Lewiston Regional Technical Center.
The school’s director, Rob Callahan, wrote in a letter to the community on Friday: "LRTC is in shock over this tragic loss. There are no words to express this loss to both the Varney family, and fellow RTC family."
"Dulsie was that sort of educator that every student should be blessed with at least once in their school careers," the letter continued. "Her enthusiasm and energy drew students in and invited them to devote themselves to public health and community service. She was a passionate health care professional, but even more so, she loved her students and helping them realize their goals in learning and in life."
In his letter, Callahan said the matter was still under investigation but said he understood that Maher was a tenant in the Varney residence.
Troy Varney, 52, right, was unresponsive and Dulsie Varney, 48, was in medical distress when the first officers arrived; both died later at a hospital. (GoFundMe)
A family member told the Sun Journal that in the last few days leading up to the ambush, Dulsie "had become afraid of Maher," although the reasons why are still a mystery.
"It's just unbelievable," Dulsie’s cousin Barbara Varney Beedy told CBS13. "Two people so well-loved, such hard-working people."
"Dulsie and Troy were sweethearts from a very young age, and just the perfect pair," she added. "She and Troy absolutely adored his two daughters. Just lovely parents."
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The family started a GoFundMe to support the couple’s girls.
"Troy and Dulsie's lives were their children," Donna Varney wrote on the page. "They were very proud parents who loved their daughters and family very much. They would do anything to help others in need."
The family hopes the Varney daughters will "return back home to the legacy of living on the farm that their parents left for them," she wrote. "A place that should be their safe haven. Their father's dream is having his girls take over the farm which has been a home where four generations of Varneys have lived. Troy and Dulsie leave such a void in so many lives and in so many ways. Let's pull together and help these girls pick up their shattered lives and help with their future."
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