Gary Mariner, a convicted rapist in Maine, has been charged with the murder of Danielle Goodwin, a Freeport woman who was found dead near a Home Depot in September. The Maine State Police Department arrested Mariner on November 2 in connection to the murder. Goodwin’s body was discovered near a Home Depot in South Portland more than two months ago. The Chief Medical Examiner determined her cause of death to be homicide, but the specifics have not been released.
Over the past eight weeks, investigators from various police departments conducted interviews, collected video evidence, and executed search warrants in the greater Portland area. Evidence found during one of these searches linked Mariner, who is from West Newfield, to the crime.
In 2015, Mariner was charged with gross sexual assault while impersonating a police officer. He used his deceased father’s police badge to coerce a sex worker into having sex with him for free. Mariner claimed to be working with a special prostitution unit of the Maine State Police and threatened the sex worker with a gun. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with four years suspended. Mariner is listed as a lifetime registrant on the Maine Sex Offender Registry.
Mariner appeared in court virtually, where it was decided that he would be held without bail.
Danielle Goodwin was well-known in the community as a drugs and alcohol recovery counselor. She played an influential role in the sobriety journeys of many individuals. Friends describe her as strong, brave, and instrumental in saving lives. Goodwin’s positive impact on others was evident through her work as a recovery coach at a treatment center.
