By Emily Allen

Copyright centralmaine

A Waldoboro woman who was fatally shot in early August had told coworkers before her death that if she didn’t show up for work, her ex-husband had likely killed her.

James Clark, 41, was indicted last week on a murder charge in the death of his ex-wife, Levern Kelley.

Police have alleged Clark shot Kelley, 53, the evening of Aug. 7 at her home in Waldoboro and then fled for Florida. Kelley’s body was found on the porch of her home the morning of Aug. 9 when a coworker stopped by to check on her, worried because she hadn’t shown up for work.

The medical examiner’s office recovered 12 bullets from Kelley’s body, according to an affidavit signed by Maine State Police Detective Einar Mattson on Aug. 15. The document was made public late last week.

Clark’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request Monday seeking comment on the allegations. Clark, who was arrested Aug. 15 in Volusia County in Florida and brought back to Maine, has not yet been arraigned on the murder charge.

Clark and Kelley were married for a short time before divorcing in 2023, according to court records. In the affidavit, Mattson wrote that Kelley had started seeing Clark again in July. Her family did not approve and several friends and relatives told police they believed Clark was abusive to Kelley, Mattson wrote.

He wrote that it was also known among Kelley’s coworkers that she was involved with Clark.

“It was also generally known that the relationship was abusive and that Levern had told coworkers that if she (Levern) didn’t show up for work, it was because she was dead and that James killed her,” Mattson wrote in the affidavit.

Clark’s mother told police about an incident where she saw her son hold a gun to Kelley’s head, Mattson wrote. Kelley’s sister and her friends told police they had heard about this incident, too.

Clark was charged with domestic violence assault and criminal threatening against Kelley in June 2024, according to court records. Those charges were dismissed in early 2025 after Clark pleaded guilty to one count of criminal mischief.

One of Kelley’s friends told police she believed Clark was still upset about that case, according to the affidavit.

Police searched Kelley’s phone and saw Clark had texted her several times on Aug. 7. At 6:13 p.m. the texts stopped.

Clark’s mother told police he had left their apartment in Damariscotta that night and never returned. She reported that her son is diabetic and all of his insulin had been taken from the fridge.

Police searched their apartment and a storage facility Clark rented in Damariscotta. Mattson said they found ammunition matching several shell casings recovered near Kelley’s body.

A long-time friend of Clark’s told police he met up with Clark at about 9 p.m. on Aug. 7, and they drove until Clark “ditched” him in Boston.

The friend told police that Clark had said he “had to leave because he had put a gun to Levern’s head and ‘nicked her,’” Mattson wrote in the affidavit. Police said they pressed the friend for more information, but he said he didn’t know what “nicked” could have meant.

The friend told police that, during the trip to Boston, he had to take homemade weapons away from Clark outside a store in Massachusetts, near the New Hampshire border. According to the affidavit, the friend described the weapons as “made from sharpening screwdrivers to a point” and told police he was scared Clark “was going to kill the store employees.”

Mattson wrote that the friend also said he had warned Kelley against marrying Clark, who he said told police has a “violent history, particularly against women.”

How to get help

IF YOU or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, you can call the Statewide Domestic Abuse Helpline at 1-866-834-4357.

FOR ASSISTANCE during a mental health crisis, call or text 888-568-1112. To call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.

TO LEARN more about domestic violence prevention and response in Maine, visit the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence website.

FOR OTHER support or referrals, call the NAMI Maine Help Line at 800-464-5767 or email [email protected].