Starting with the unsolved, infamous beating death of Edwin H. Knight’s pregnant housekeeper Fannie Sprague 125 years ago, South Berwick has experienced only four homicides, three of them that police records linked to domestic violence.
The two violent deaths in South Berwick this century were both allegedly the result of domestic assaults – the death this March of Sherri Sweet, 37, of Brattle Street and the death in 2003 of Kathleen Lyons, 42, of Earls Road.
But hidden behind these scant statistics are the dozens of calls town police get each year seeking help during domestic disputes, any of which could be the one that leads to injury or even death.
Sweet was allegedly shot in the back of the head by her boyfriend, Jeremiah Godfrey, 43, in the Brattle Street home they shared; he has been charged with murder and is incarcerated without bail pending trial.
Lyons died from internal head injuries at the hands of her longtime live-in boyfriend, Jeffrey Merrifield, 41, who was indicted for manslaughter and assault but ultimately pled guilty to assault and reckless conduct. He is now deceased.
A total of 39 domestic disturbance calls in 2024 led to two charges of domestic violence assault, according to Police Chief David Ruger. And in the first three months of 2025, 18 calls regarding domestic disputes led to three arrests for domestic violence assault, including the arrest of Godfrey on a charge of murder in connection to Sweet’s death.
Because the calls for domestic disputes can range from overheated spats to dangerous situations, police must respond to each call as if it were a life or death matter. While murder can be a tragic outcome of a domestic disturbance call, Ruger said, the majority of calls are for “verbal arguments, sometimes involving a parent and child,” and are often resolved at the scene.
The process to de-escalate a potentially violent situation involves the skills and resources provided by responding officers and, when possible, the assistance of a trained mental health worker.
During a community meeting last October Ruger praised behavioral health liaison Erin McGann, who often accompanied officers on challenging calls. McGann began her tenure with South Berwick in December 2023 through a liaison program with Sweetser, a non-profit mental health agency based in Saco.
“Officers come back after a call with her, amazed at her skills to calm a situation,” Ruger said at the time.
After serving 14 months, McGann left her full-time position working with police departments in southern York County to take another role with the State of Maine. She was recently rehired part-time by South Berwick while the department recruits a new full-time behavioral health liaison, a position approved by voters at the May 20 annual Town Meeting.
Ahead of the vote, Ruger noted that McGann filled an important role and he hoped she would be replaced.
“If the position were to be voted down, that would take the town two steps back and a travesty to the residents that our (liaison) was able to assist during her time here,” he said.
De-escalation begins with 911 call
The process of de-escalating a domestic violence situation begins after a call comes into 911, reaching South Berwick’s dispatch service through the Sanford Regional (911) Communications Center.
Dispatchers immediately work to determine the level of crisis and radio the local police department to send two officers to respond, said police officer Mark Dyer, who is in charge of the center’s logistics and support services. Dispatchers also notify the state Department of Health and Human Services if a child is involved.
“If dispatch thinks the situation is getting out of control, they may ask the caller to get into a different room or go outside,” Dyer said. “Local police (then) take over at the scene and try to ease tensions, often using their own training on how to manage stressful situations.”
Although peace may be restored at the scene, the path to end violence, get survivors to safety, and help them recover is ongoing and may involve protective court orders, transitional housing, legal help, financial assistance and a network of support.
Next to 911, the most important help numbers are domestic violence hotlines. According to the national 24-Hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services report, over 22,000 calls are made to a domestic violence hotline every 24 hours. Maine’s hotline, managed by Maine’s Coalition to End Domestic Violence, received 14,810 calls in 2024.
The Maine Coalition is a network that uses Caring Unlimited, based in Sanford, as its resource for York County residents. Its services include emergency shelter, transitional housing, community-based education and legal services. It also acts as a liaison with the child protective system.
Caring Unlimited has trained advocates who help figure out what type and length of housing survivors need to be safe, said Emily Gromley, director of development and community for Caring Unlimited. An 11-year employee who began as a volunteer answering Helpline calls, Gromley explained that advocates also connect the survivor or the family with support groups and housing resources.
“It takes time,” she acknowledged.
For short-term housing, Caring Unlimited’s 18-bed emergency shelter, Audrey’s House, provides a safe haven in an undisclosed location in York County until more permanent safe housing is available. In addition, its Legal Assistance Program provides an overview of civil legal matters and information on how to reach a court advocate.
In 2024, the organization provided 5,593 nights of emergency shelter to 88 adults and children, Gromley said. In addition, 66 adults and children “began new, safe lives in our transitional housing apartments,” she said.
Support group is “sisterhood of survivors”
Domestic violence survivors in the long term can look to support groups such as Finding Our Voices, a non-profit organization of 55 Maine women described as a “sisterhood of survivors.”
Finding Our Voices founder and domestic abuse survivor Patrisha McLean visited the Early Bird Cafe in South Berwick a day after Sweet’s death in March, armed with posters featuring Maine women who have successfully escaped abuse, including Gov. Janet Mills.
“We’re always looking at ways to connect,” said McLean, who was accompanied by a volunteer.
In 2024, Finding Our Voices provided a total of $9,100 in assistance to 20 women survivors in York County, including one from South Berwick. In 2025, five women, including one from South Berwick, have received $2,752 in aid.
After the South Berwick visit, two friends of Sweet reached out to McLean seeking a way to support Sweet’s family, which includes two young children. They together decided to participate in a Mother’s Day event, with the first $1,000 raised going to Sweet’s children, McLean said. The remaining proceeds benefited the nonprofits Love Shouldn’t Hurt and Black Belts Against Domestic Violence.
Sweet’s death is still under investigation and while specific details of the March 22 call from Godfrey, the alleged perpetrator, have not been made available, Ruger did state South Berwick police had no prior contact with that address for any domestic or disturbance calls for service.
The officers who responded to Sweet’s home that night – Jason Legendre, Marshal Davis and Paul Goldsmith – faced a tragic and rare situation and all have been commended by Ruger for their “excellence in service.”
The story of homicides in South Berwick in the 20th century is a brief but tragic one. In 1964 State Trooper Charles Black was shot and killed while responding to a bank robbery at First National Bank of Biddeford in South Berwick. The other three murders on record in South Berwick in the last 125 years were incidents of domestic violence.
Here are resource contacts where help can be found:
- The 24/7 confidential Maine domestic abuse hotline is 1-866-834-4357
- Caring Unlimited: 24 Hour Helpline 1-800-239-7298
- Finding our Voices: https://findingourvoices.net
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