John Crouch Oxford County Sheriff’s Office

WEST PARIS — Police followed a bloody set of footprints from John Crouch III’s camper at 5 Jackson Crossing Rd. on Jan. 26, to a steep embankment bordering the Midwest Price Co. LLC chip mill where John Crouch III allegedly fired again at the 18-year-old man he had shot in the chest minutes before. 

According to an affidavit signed on February 2 by Oxford County Sheriff Lt. Justin M. Brown, John Crouch III, 39. allegedly shot Vincent Andre Choppin Jr. in the chest at the camper located on the Jackson Road property around 10:27 p.m. on Jan. 26. After, Crouch chased the bleeding man through his wooded property, down a steep embankment, through a gravel pit and up to a tall wooden fence that Choppin managed to scale before calling 911 from the chip mill stating he was shot in the chest and was “going to die.” 

According to the affidavit, Brown executed a search warrant on the camper, owned by Crouch’s father, John Crouch II, after Choppin was transported to Central Maine Medical Center. There, he found blood in the sleeping area of the camper where John Crouch III and his girlfriend, Angelique Henderson lived.  

Inside, Brown found a buckshot shell that had been fired just inside the door, consistent round with what shot Choppin. 

Shortly after, a Maine State Police K9 unit and Oxford County Sheriff Deputies tracked three sets of footprints. When Crouch was arrested after being found in Bethel Sunday, Brown wrote that the sneakers he was wearing matched the tracks leading from his trailer.  

“Halacy, Corporal Richard Murray, Deputy Brandan George and I retraced the path three individuals ran through the woods. The path Vincent took when fleeing the camper was evident as we found his blood on the ground. The other two prints were together and didn’t initially take the same path,” Brown wrote. 

 The three tracks separated. Halacy and George followed Choppin’s bloody prints, while Murray and Brown followed the other prints. Soon after, Halacy found two large bags of narcotics, later tested and determined to be fentanyl and crack cocaine, and blood in the area. The drugs were photographed and seized as evidence.  

The three sets of prints soon rejoined on top of the ridge where Choppin’s bloody prints descended and continued north towards the chip mill. The two other prints went around the embankment to level ground, where police found several 20-dollar bills and wadding from another shotgun round that had been fired. 

“One set of prints ascended another very steep embankment which led to a tall wooden fence. This is where Vincent [Choppin] climbed the fence to his safety,” Brown wrote.  

The prints belonging to Crouch and Henderson headed back towards the camper, though they did not take the same route back to the camper.  

“The prints turned towards the river. (Officers) found a shotgun thrown in the bushes, mostly buried in the snow,” wrote Brown. 

Later that day, police issued a statement saying that Crouch and Henderson were wanted for questioning for the incident. Over the next week, Brown said authorities received multiple tips as to the pair’s whereabouts, eventually being detained in Bethel before traveling to South Paris for questioning. 

Crouch told police during the interview that he ran from authorities because “he thought he had a warrant,” and Henderson did not answer questions during the interview.  

Choppin was released from Central Maine Medical Center the week of Jan. 26, and Oxford County Chief Deputy James Urquhart said he did not cooperate during police interviews.  

Crouch was taken into custody shortly before 1 p.m. in South Paris on Sunday on a charge of attempted murder. 

That charge, a Class A felony, is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. 

Angelique Henderson, 39, of 433 Oxford St. in South Paris was arrested shortly before 1:30 p.m. in Bethel on suspicion of conspiracy, but she was not charged. 

“At this point in time, there was not sufficient evidence to bring a charge,” District Attorney Andrew Robinson said Monday. 

Crouch appeared in a Paris court Monday and had his bail set at $150,000 cash. He was transferred to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.