Maine State Police detectives Friday continued to probe the fatal shooting of a Windham woman by her husband Thursday, and investigators will review hours of recorded interviews and analyze evidence taken from the home on Brookhaven Drive before meeting with prosecutors next week.

Alicia Gaston, 34, was shot once in the abdomen by her husband, Noah Gaston, 33, police said. Police declined to release Noah Gaston’s account of the incident.

“We’re trying to verify information gained through interviews of family and other witnesses combined with the examination of the death scene and evidence collected and put it all together,” said Lt. Brian McDonough, head of the state police Major Crimes Unit for southern Maine.

Alicia Gaston’s family declined to comment about the investigation but issued a statement about her and thanked friends and family for their support.

“We are all saddened by the loss of Alicia,” the statement said. “She was a loving mother who stayed home with her children, provided a life filled with incredibly creative experiences for her family daily.”

“She was also a wonderful sister, caring daughter, and supportive friend to many,” it said. “We are all in disbelief at the circumstances surrounding her death.”

Noah Gaston called 911 about 6:15 a.m. Thursday to report that his wife had been shot. The couple’s two daughters – ages 9 and 8 – and son, 2, were home at the time. They are now staying with relatives.

Police interviewed Noah Gaston at length Thursday, though a subsequent interview planned for Friday did not happen. McDonough would not say why.

Members of the evidence response team were back at the house Friday looking for clues that might explain what happened.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Marchese said there are good reasons for the state’s withholding details about the case.

“We don’t talk about them early on because it’s really important for witnesses and those related to the case to have a clear memory of what they know or believed such that they are not tainted by a public recitation of the facts,” Marchese said.

“When an event happens, whether it’s people who knew the couple, whether it’s somebody who knows a fact we do not know, we just want to make sure people’s memories are not impacted by media or outside influences,” she said.

The family has lived for several years on Flaggy Meadow Road in Gorham and was house-sitting at the Windham house temporarily, said a neighbor who lived next door to them in Gorham. Alicia Gaston and her family had moved to Windham over the summer, she said.

“She was very excited about it, and so were their children,” said Carol Hagen. She described Alicia Gaston as very nice and said the children, who were home-schooled, were very well-behaved.

She said Noah Gaston was less amicable to her. “I did bring a package over there once that FedEx left here for them. He never said thank you, he just took the package from me and never spoke. It was very odd,” Hagen said. “I used to say ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’ or ‘Good morning.’ He would never respond.”

Hagen said she never heard the couple arguing.

Noah Gaston, originally from Fort Worth, Texas, is a chef and musician. A resume posted online shows he recently worked at the New Morning Natural Foods market and cafe in Biddeford. Workers at the cafe declined to comment for this story.

Gaston worked previously as the executive chef of 91 South at the PineCrest Inn in Gorham.

David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@mainetoday.com

Twitter: Mainehenchman