PROVINCETOWN – A man convicted of a gruesome 2003 murder in Provincetown has been granted conditional parole. Background as CWN reported on October 25th 2003: Provincetown and State Police have made an arrest Tuesday afternoon in connection with a gruesome murder discovered earlier that morning. 28-year-old Nathaniel Miksch of Ptown will be arraigned in Orleans District Court on Wednesday. It all started when Provincetown Police responded to a 911 call about 1 AM Tuesday morning and discovered the body of man in a closet at 27B Conwell St. The victim has been identified as 36-year-old Timothy McGuire. State Police CPAC investigators were on the scene throughout the morning combing the scene for clues but were very tight lipped about anything they may have discovered. The quick arrest is reassuring to residents of this usually quiet outer Cape town which was just starting to feel safe after the town’s last murder was solved just a few months ago. That case was the 1996 killing of DSS worker Linda Silva allegedly shot by the father of a boy she had removed from a home. Miksch was arraigned in Orleans Court Wednesday morning and pleaded not guilty. The case was continued until November 20th. Also in Orleans, Cape & Islands district attorney Michael O’Keefe held a press conference and released a few new details. He said McGuire was renting the apartment in the building described as a rooming house. O’Keefe also said the body was discovered in a closet as previously reported and that the victim had been strangled. The victim is believed to have been killed on Saturday. He went on to say the victim and suspect had some kind of dating relationship but declined to go into further detail. Published reports say the victim’s left arm had been dismembered.
A witness shows a Provincetown Police office a trash bag that reportedly contained human remains.
Tim Caldwell/CWN file
The body of Timothy McGuire is removed from the murder scene. Tim Caldwell/CWN file
During the trial, Miksch claimed he had been raped by McGuire and the killing was in self defense. Miksch was denied parole in 2000. Following the completion of a course of drug and alcohol treatment he was granted conditional patrol as of June 1st. The conditions stated are that he reserve a long-term residential program. Miksch will be under electronic monitoring and will have a 10 PM to 6 AM curfew. He must remain drug and alcohol free and have no contact with McGuire’s family.
The late independent filmmaker Tim McCarthy made a documentary about the murder entitled “Meth & Murder in Ptown: isn’t that what poetry is about?” It is available on youtube here (Viewer discretion is advised).
