Four Nuns Attacked, One Killed By Intruder

An intruder beat and stabbed four nuns at their convent Saturday night, killing one of them and critically injuring another.

A man who sometimes attended Mass at the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament chapel was arrested during the attack, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

Mark Bechard, of Waterville, was jailed on charges of aggravated assault, and a murder charge was added early today after the nun died at a hospital. Investigators weren’t sure what motivated the attack.

One of the nuns was in critical condition, and the other two were in serious condition early Sunday. Details of their injuries were not immediately available. The nuns’ identities were not disclosed.