A Maine man confessed to killing his longtime girlfriend during phone calls to his daughter and ex-wife, telling them he started strangling the woman and just “couldn’t stop,” police said.
Gregory Vance, 61, of Portland, remains held without bail after being charged with murder in the death of Patricia Grassi, 59, whose body was found early Sunday in their Portland apartment after Vance’s daughter called cops to ask for a welfare check after the couple had a fight, according to a police affidavit obtained by the Portland Press Herald.
“He sounded distraught and stated that he strangled Patty,” the document states. “He added that it’s too late and that he strangled her and he couldn’t stop.”
After killing his girlfriend of 15 years, Vance put Grassi’s body on the bed they shared and covered her. He also told his daughter he would do anything to avoid going to jail for the slaying, according to the affidavit.
“He told her that he was going to leave and get his money out of his account and get his belongings,” the document continued. “Catherine pled with him to check on Patty again and he asked her not to call police. He apologized and told her to distance herself from him.”
In a separate phone call, Vance also reached out to his ex-wife, Cindi Blanke, who later recalled the conversation with investigators, saying that Vance told her he had a fight with Grassi, who pushed him and knocked his drink over during the dispute.
“Gregory then told Cindi that he choked Patty and that she was dead,” the affidavit said. “During their phone conversation, Gregory told Cindi that he moved Patty to the bed so that she would be more comfortable.”
Responding police officers found Vance wearing only jeans and socks while smoking a cigarette when they arrived at the couple’s apartment. Vance then told police that Grassi was dead, saying that she had been “tormenting me, slapping me,” according to the affidavit.
An attorney for Vance, who had his initial appearance in court on Tuesday, said her client is entitled to the “absolute presumption of innocence,” adding that a proper investigation will take time.
“This is important for us all to remember,” attorney Tina Heather Nadeau wrote in an email to the newspaper. “We look forward to vigorously and zealously defending him against this charge, protecting his rights, and exploring all avenues for his defense.”
Prosecutors, meanwhile, declined to comment on the case Tuesday.
Vance’s criminal history in Maine dates back some three decades, including a 1990 felony conviction for gross sexual assault. He was later sentenced to 15 years in prison with five years suspended and was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, the Press Herald reports.
The manager of a pizza shop located below Vance’s apartment said she was troubled at how close the alleged crime was to her business.
“It’s kind of nerve-wracking,” Michelle Hines, who runs Pizzaiolo, told WGME. “I don’t live here, but I did stay here last night and I didn’t hear anything in the night. In the morning when I came down here to prep, the cops came in.”
Hines continued: “It’s kind of scary when you think about it like that, and knowing that it happened right next door, and if you could have just heard something so you could have helped her.”
