The Life and Death of Amy Lynn Drake
Amy Drake could have been anything she wanted to be…
This story ends with a murder, but it’s not about that.
It’s about friendship. And nostalgia. And legacy. The things that were, and a butterfly effect of the things that could have been.
Amy Drake was only 18-years-old when her body was found by hunters on November 24th, 2006, in the woods of Norridgewock, Maine, just a few miles from the Skowhegan town line. She’d been missing for a little over a month—the last time her mother saw her was September 20th.
Amy spent a lot of time at the home of her boyfriend, Jason Forbus, who lived on South Factory street in Skowhegan, so it wasn’t unusual for Norma to not see her daughter every day, but she always at least heard from her by phone. Norma was concerned that Amy didn’t have a change of clothes with her, and left her purse at home. So, after four days without so much as a call from Amy and no word on where she was, Norma reported her missing.
A life, changed
I’m not going to gloss over the fact that Amy had fallen into an addition. It’s part of her story, and I would be doing a disservice to her by not including it. But I want to make it clear that drugs were not who Amy was, and that it shouldn’t have any impact on her need for justice or having her story told in a more complex and compassionate light than just a highlight reel of the last few moments of her life.
Being a recovering addict could have been a part of her story, too. Maybe she would have been a mentor for a young teen today who fell into the trap of drugs and needed the support that only somebody like her who gets it could give. But we’ll never know. She was never given the opportunity to get sober.
The once spunky teen (who lovingly dragged her friends around town on adventures) had descended into a life of drugs, and was slowly becoming unrecognizable to the ones who knew her best.
Keeping Amy’s memory alive
When I spoke with her childhood friend, Jason Dickerson, on the phone, I knew this episode was going to be different. The stories he shared with me instantly brought me back to my own time growing up in Maine, not too far from where they were, and reminded me of a time of pre-teen simplicity before social media—a time period I never thought I would feel nostalgia for.
Press play now to hear a love letter to yesterday—a coming-of-age story in a small town in Maine, and a life that was robbed in the prime of youth.
Maybe one day we’ll finally have justice for Amy Lynn Drake.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, it’s not too late to get help. Call the SAMHSA Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP or visit findtreatment.gov for additional resources.
If you have any information on the murder of Amy Drake, I encourage you to submit a tip to the Maine Cold Case Unit
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Sources For This Episode
Submit a tip to Maine Cold Case Unit
Special thanks to Amy’s friend, Jason Dickerson, for sharing his personal stories.
Associated Press via Bangor Daily News
Body Found By Deer Hunters Not Yet Identified, November 27th, 2006
Homicide Victim ID’d as Skowhegan Woman, November 28th, 2006
Bangor Daily News Written by Sharon Kiley Mack
Suspect in Child Beating Pleads Not Guilty, March 8th, 2007
Skowhegan Homicide Probe Continues, April 27th 2007
Additional Sources
Twelve Years Later, Death Remains Open
Skowhegan Teen's 2006 Death Unsolved
Amy Drake's Killer Still Unidentified
Norridgewock Case Remains Open
Forum of Various Out Of Print Articles
Media and Credits
Black and white photo of Amy found here
Color photo of Amy found here
Writing, research, audio, and editing by Kristen Seavey
Murder, She Told was created by Kristen Seavey
Research support by Byron Willis
Music composed and performed by Byron Willis
This episode was also co-produced by AKA Studio Productions