John Jefferson
Spridal Hubiak (Maine State Police) and the store where he allegedly killed Angela Bragg (WGME screenshot)
A 21-year-old man in Maine will spend multiple decades behind bars for killing a 52-year-old woman, fatally stabbing her inside of the liquor store where they both worked in what prosecutors described as a “thrill kill.”
Spridal Hubiak on Tuesday was ordered to serve a sentence of 65 years in a state correctional facility for the 2023 slaying of Angela Bragg, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
In addition to his incarceration, Hubiak was also ordered to pay $3,959 in restitution.
Prosecutors previously asserted that while Bragg was “like a mother” to the much younger Hubiak, Hubiak became obsessed with Bragg and yearned to be in a sexual relationship with her, Poland Spring, Maine, ABC affiliate WMTW reported. During one hearing, Assistant District Attorney Lisa Bogue reportedly referred to the crime as a “thrill kill.”
The report also states that Hubiak’s phone contained a list of Bragg’s favorite things. The device reportedly also showed that Hubiak spent weeks planning the murder and his escape route before going through with the grisly deed. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Hubiak lock the doors inside the liquor store before sneaking up on Bragg from behind and repeatedly stabbing her in the neck.
Speaking about one of the notes found on Hubiak’s phone, Bogue said it was clear that Bragg “hadn’t done anything to provoke” the attack, adding that Hubiak “just wanted to do it, local NBC affiliate WCSH reported.
Officers with Waterville Police Department at about 4:34 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2023, responded to a call about a dead body at Damon’s Beverage Waterville on Jefferson Street. The caller said that they were an employee at the store and had just walked in and found their co-worker dead inside.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders found a deceased woman, later identified as Bragg, who appeared to have suffered multiple stab wounds. Waterville PD then requested the assistance of the state police’s Major Crimes Unit in investigating the murder.
An autopsy conducted by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta, Maine’s capital city, determined that Bragg’s manner of death was a homicide and the cause of death was sharp force injury.
Investigators quickly named Hubiak as a person of interest in the case and issued a warrant for his arrest. In a news release, police said they believed Hubiak had fled the state in a black 2010 Ford Taurus with a Maine license plate.
Hubiak remained on the run for several days until an officer with the Flippin Police Department in Flippin, Arkansas — a town more than 1,600 miles west of Waterville — spotted the black Taurus in a parking lot. Hubiak was said to be sleeping inside of the car when the officer made contact. A chase ensued.
Flippin Police and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office kept pursuit of Hubiak as he fled west on Highway 412 in the direction of Boone County.
“In response to the situation, Boone County deputies promptly intervened, collaborating with the Arkansas State Police to deploy spike strips. While the spike strips partially disabled the suspect’s vehicle, the pursuit persisted until reaching the intersection of Highway 65 and 412, where the driver pulled into a local private business,” the Boone County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a news release. “Upon exiting the vehicle, the suspect brandished an AR-style rifle, prompting a Boone County deputy to discharge their weapon, striking the suspect. Immediate action was taken as responding officers removed the injured suspect from the vehicle, and emergent first aid measures were initiated on-site.”
Hubiak was transported via ambulance to the North Arkansas Regional Medical Center for treatment. The medical staff was able to stabilize Hubiak, but due to the severity of his injuries, he was transported via Life Flight to a medical facility in Green County, Missouri. Authorities did not release additional details about the shooting or Hubiak’s condition other than to say that he was “expected to live.”
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