Murder suspect Burton sighted in Guilford

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom SEEKING THE PUBLIC’S HELP — A message board heading out West Main Street in Milo on July 1 reads “Manhunt underway in Parkman area call 9-1-1 with tips” as search efforts continue to capture Robert Burton, wanted for murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend last month. Highway message boards have been located in five area towns aimed at warning vacationers of the manhunt. The Maine Department of Transportation also posted signs in Newport, Athens, Charleston and Monson, along all of the major roads that lead into the Parkman-Guilford area. Area residents are continued to be advised to report immediately any suspicious activity. Search efforts to locate Burton will continue by State Police, the Piscataquis Sheriff’s Office and the Maine Warden Service. The phone numbers to call are the State Police in Bangor at 973-3700 or 911.

Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

GUILFORD — Maine State Police, aided by officers with the Warden Service and the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department, began searching on July 6 after a confirmed sighting of murder suspect Robert Burton was made around noon, Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesperson Steve McCausland said in a news release.

A camp owner in North Guilford said he saw Burton on his property and then say him run off to nearby Davis Pond, where he stole a canoe or kayak. The new search area was off from Route 150, about five miles north of downtown Guilford. Burton, who is 5-foot-11 and approximately 180 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes and sometimes wears glasses, was dressed in camouflage clothing and had a black backpack strapped to the front. Police suspect he has been breaking into camps and houses.

After searching, the effort was scaled back at dusk with state police troopers and sheriff’s deputies remaining in the area during the night. The July 6 search did not lead to any sign of Burton or the canoe or kayak he was last seen in.

On the agency’s Facebook page, the sheriff’s department is urging residents of Route 150 and the North Guilford Road and Willimantic to use caution and report anything out of place. Burton is considered armed and dangerous.

Burton is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Ginn Gebo, whose body was discovered in her home in Parkman last month. This is the first confirmed sighting of Burton in nearly three weeks. He was last spotted along a snowmobile trail in Guilford on June 17.

To report any information on Burton, please dial 9-1-1 or call the state police in Bangor at 973-3700.