WISCASSET — The girlfriend of the man who was shot and killed in Chelsea in July in an armed confrontation with police has been charged with hindering apprehension.
Annie McKechnie, 22, of Chelsea is expected to make her initial appearance Thursday on the misdemeanor charge at the Lincoln County Courthouse.
McKechnie is accused of helping Frank Foss Jr. avoid discovery or prosecution on or about July 2 in Dresden, after a warrant had been issued for his arrest and about three weeks before police shot and killed him in Chelsea, according to the criminal complaint.
McKechnie had apparently traveled to Milo in early July with Foss, who was wanted by authorities for illegally having a gun as a convicted felon, according to information released earlier this year by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were unable to locate him in Dresden.
Family members said Foss and McKechnie might have been traveling to an address in Milo.
Milo police and Piscataquis County deputies did not find Foss, but learned through speaking to McKechnie that he had been there and had hidden in the woods to avoid arrest.
A search of the vehicle in which they traveled showed it contained three rifles, boxes of ammunition, an empty pistol case and supplies for an extended camping trip.
Foss, a U.S. Army veteran, was convicted in 2020 in Piscataquis County on a charge of domestic violence criminal threatening after being accused of killing a cat and shooting at his wife and children, while intoxicated.
The same year, Foss was convicted of two other felony charges — theft of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person — after the search of a shack in which he was living on Calls Hill Road turned up four stolen guns.
Deputies arrived at Foss’ home in early July, two months after he had pleaded guilty to a charge of domestic violence assault for an incident that took place in December 2022. Under a deferred disposition agreement, Foss was to undergo evaluation for substance abuse, with treatment, if necessary; refrain from drinking alcohol; submit to random searches; and refrain from criminal conduct.
Deputies returned to Dresden on July 22 to search for Foss, believing him to be in the area. Lincoln County deputies had requested help from the Maine State Police’s tactical and crisis negotiating teams in executing arrest and search warrants for Foss, and several roads were blocked in the area near his home. Searchers did not find Foss.
Later that evening, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office identified Foss as the focus of their search and asked for the public’s help in locating him.
On July 23, Foss was fatally shot in Chelsea in the woods behind a Hankerson Road home after pointing a gun at a member of the Maine State Police tactical team, which was searching for him. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Foss was seeking an armed confrontation with law enforcement.
Detective Scott Duff of the Maine State Police was placed on administrative leave after fatally shooting Foss. Such a move is standard practice when a law enforcement officer uses deadly force in the line of duty.
Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said Monday that Duff had returned to work Sept. 6.
The shooting remains under investigation by the Office of the Maine Attorney General, according to officials.
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