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Woman's body found in driver's trunk after he kills self during Gardiner traffic stop

State police said a man from Sturbridge, Massachusetts, died by suicide immediately after being pulled over. Investigators shortly after discovered a woman's body inside the vehicle's trunk.

*UPDATE * 8/13 4:35 p.m. – The Worcester County DA's office has identified the woman found dead inside Rutan's vehicle as 28-year-old Maddilyn Burgess.

District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said Burgess is the apparent victim of a murder.

After Maine State Police discovered Rutan lived at 5 Fairview Park Rd. Apt. 12 in Sturbridge, Mass., Massachusetts state and local police searched the residence Friday and discovered evidence of a crime scene, according to the DA's office.

Maine's medical examiner has determined that Burgess died of blunt force injuries, the office said.

*UPDATE* 8/10 4:30 p.m. – State police on Friday identified the man who died by suicide as 34-year-old Gyrth Rutan of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, and said the body found in his vehicle's trunk was that of a woman.

According to McCausland, the woman's death did not take place in Maine.

The state medical examiner's office determined Rutan died of a shotgun wound to the head and his death had officially been ruled a suicide.

Maine State Police is referring information regarding the woman to the Worcester County DA's office, which along with Massachusetts State Police is investigating her death.

McCausland said it's still unclear why Rutan drove to Maine, but said he did have family located in Maine and his Facebook page indicates he grew up in Brewer.

GARDINER (NEWS CENTER Maine) — State police said a body was discovered in the trunk of a man's vehicle shortly after he died by suicide during a traffic stop.

The man's car was pulled over around 4:45 p.m. Thursday along Timberwood Drive in Gardiner, according to Dept. of Public Safety spokesperson Steve McCausland. Witnesses had reportedly seen the car driving erratically on I-295 before the traffic stop.

McCausland said the man, after being stopped, immediately got out of his car and shot himself. It was afterward while conducting an investigation when police discovered a body in the vehicle's trunk.

There is no threat to the public, according to McCausland.

State police said the bodies are being transported to the state medical examiner's office in Augusta for autopsies and examination.

A team of Maine State Police detectives are working the investigation, which remains active.

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