No one can really argue that, for the most part, Maine is a really safe place to live.  No, I have not looked at the per capita crime rates, but the simple fact that Maine is so sparsely populated means we rarely hear about violent crime.

However, it does occasionally happen.  Sadly, we do have our share of assaults, sexual assaults, and murders.  As there is usually (thankfully) quite a bit of time between each of the state's murders, sometimes we forget that we have had so many.

In thinking about murders that took place in our state, we've put together a list of some of the more shocking killings from Maine's history.  The following eight murders all happened in the last 200-ish years.

8 Shocking Maine Murders

While we normally consider Maine to be a really safe place to live, occasionally murders do take place in the Pine Tree State. Here are a few of the more shocking murders that have taken place in Maine over the last few hundred years.

Why do we consider the above killings shocking?  For several different reasons, including the number of victims, the fact the victims were children, and what was done with the bodies of the deceased.

How Many in America: From Guns to Ghost Towns

Can you take a guess as to how many public schools are in the U.S.? Do you have any clue as to how many billionaires might be residing there? Read on to find out—and learn a thing or two about each of these selection’s cultural significance and legacy along the way.

LOOK: See America's 50 Best Beach Towns

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

LOOK: Here are the biggest HBCUs in America

More than 100 historically Black colleges and universities are designated by the U.S. Department of Education, meeting the definition of a school "established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans."

StudySoup compiled the 20 largest historically Black colleges and universities in the nation, based on 2021 data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. Each HBCU on this list is a four-year institution, and the schools are ranked by the total student enrollment.

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LOOK: Full List of the Best Places to Live in Maine

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Maine using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com. On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks.

Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.

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