On a usually quiet Brunswick street, police say a longtime neighborly relationship ended in horrifying violence. A 45-year-old resident, Tanner Dostie, is accused of killing his neighbor, dismembering the body with a chainsaw and burning the remains in a backyard fire pit, according to court records and investigators. Dostie was arrested on April 10 after people at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting reported a disturbance, and statements he allegedly made there led officers to a nearby home. Authorities say the victim was 61-year-old Dennis Blasens, who lived across the street and was known for helping Dostie work on his pickup truck.
Police say AA meeting disturbance led officers to the scene
According to a Maine State Police news release, Bath police responded on April 10 to a report of a disruptive man at an AA meeting. Investigators say the man's statements during that encounter prompted a search of a home on Randall Circle, where officers found a deceased adult male. Dostie was charged with murder and taken to the Cumberland County Jail. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was asked to perform an autopsy to confirm the victim's identity and to determine the cause and manner of death.
Affidavit outlines alleged confession, knife standoff and drug use
An affidavit obtained by WMTW states that officers used a stun device on Dostie multiple times after he refused to drop a knife. While in custody, he allegedly told detectives repeatedly, "I killed my neighbor," and identified the victim as Dennis Blasens. The affidavit further alleges that Dostie said he had eaten an entire bag of stolen psychedelic mushrooms, described using a battery-powered chainsaw to cut the body into pieces placed in plastic bags, and remarked that he had been so close to getting away with it that he laughed.
Search turns up burned remains and possible tools
Search warrants and investigators uncovered human skeletal material in a large backyard fire pit, according to the Portland Press Herald. They also reported recovering chainsaw parts, pieces of a cellphone and what appeared to be part of a melted baseball bat. Detectives noted red-brown stains inside and outside the house that tested presumptive positive for blood, and neighbors told police they had seen Dostie tending a fire on the day Blasens disappeared.
Family and friends say money dispute preceded shocking violence
The victim's wife, Michelle Blasens, told detectives that she and Dostie spent hours each morning working on the pickup, and that her husband had recently paid roughly $4,000 for parts that Dostie had promised to repay, according to reporting by the Tampa Free Press. Friends and relatives described the Blasens family as close, and the abrupt, brutal nature of the killing has left the quiet cul-de-sac deeply shaken.
Legal status: arraigned and held without bail
Dostie made his first court appearance on April 13 and was ordered held without bail, the Bangor Daily News reports. Court records in the case have been sealed while prosecutors and investigators continue gathering evidence and the matter moves toward a possible indictment.
Investigation still active as authorities stay tight-lipped
The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit South is leading the investigation, with help from the Bath and Brunswick police departments, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office and the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Officials say no additional details will be released for now while the medical examiner completes testing and investigators continue to follow up on leads.
