PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The man who killed a student at Colby College in 2003 has died in prison, the Maine Department of Corrections said.
Edward J. Hackett Jr., 64, died on Monday while in custody of the Maine Department of Corrections, the Portland Press Herald reported. The department did not give the cause of his death but said he did not die because of the coronavirus.
Hackett was convicted of killing Dawn Rossignol, who was a 21-year-old student at Colby College when she was killed in Sept. 2003, the newspaper reported. Hackett was sentenced to life in prison.
Rossignol was studying to be a pharmacist when Hackett kidnapped her, sexually assaulted her and killed her, CentralMaine.com reported. Her death sparked fear in the small college town.
Police searched for people on parole in the area who had been charged with similar crimes, and identified Hackett as a possible suspect. Hackett was staying with his parents after spending most of his life in prison, the news outlet reported.
In the months before he killed Rossignol, Hackett was in touch with multiple mental health providers. His attorney told the court during his trial that he planned to commit a crime in order to return to a structured prison environment because he was struggling.
Colby College issued Rossignol an honorary bachelor of science degree after her death.
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