By Tiffany Williams & Dylan Azari –
A man wanted in connection with a murder investigation in Maine was taken into custody Saturday after a multi-state police pursuit that ended with a crash in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire State Police said troopers were alerted around 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2026, that officers with the Lowell Police Department were pursuing a vehicle northbound on Interstate 93 toward the New Hampshire border. As troopers responded, they were informed that the driver was wanted in connection with a homicide investigation in Skowhegan, Maine.
The vehicle, identified as a 2018 silver Jeep Compass, crossed into New Hampshire in Salem. Troopers joined the pursuit as the driver refused to stop. Police said the chase continued along Interstate 93, Interstate 293, Route 101 and Route 114.
The pursuit ended on Route 13 in Dunbarton, just north of Barnard Road, when the Jeep left the roadway and crashed into a tree. Authorities said the driver then barricaded himself inside the vehicle. Additional troopers and the New Hampshire State Police SWAT Team responded to the scene.
Nonlethal munitions were deployed before the suspect was taken into custody at approximately 10:30 a.m. Police identified the suspect as Dane Burke, 55, of Skowhegan, Maine.
Burke was transported by ambulance to Concord Hospital with injuries described as serious but not life-threatening and remains under law enforcement supervision. The Jeep was seized as evidence in connection with the Maine homicide investigation.
In addition to charges he faces in Maine and Massachusetts, Burke has been charged in New Hampshire as a fugitive from justice. Authorities said additional charges related to the pursuit are expected. No court date has been scheduled. Burke is expected to remain in custody in New Hampshire pending extradition to Maine.
No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.
Maine State Police said the case stems from a death reported late Wednesday night in Skowhegan. At 11:37 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2026, Skowhegan police responded to a 911 call for a person not breathing at a residence on West Front Street. Officers located a deceased woman inside the home.
The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit Central was called to assist. The victim was transported to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta, where an autopsy was conducted on Jan. 15.
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner later ruled the woman’s death a homicide. The victim was identified as 46-year-old Nicole Jackson of Skowhegan. The autopsy determined the cause of death to be blunt force and sharp force trauma.
Based on information developed during the investigation, Maine State Police identified Jackson’s boyfriend, Dane Burke, as a suspect in her death. Authorities said Burke was believed to be traveling in the silver Jeep Compass with Ohio license plates when the vehicle was located in Lowell early Saturday morning.
The investigation remains ongoing.