In the October 12, 1922 edition of the Portland Evening Express, reporters photographed and interviewed Constable John Gendron, who was responsible for arresting the two leading suspects, Norman Mawson and Jeremiah W. Wheaton, who were within 50 feet of Otis A. Bean's body within 5 minutes of his murder.

Gendron, who was the head of the posse, told reporters that the men were "talking in high pitched voices as they approached his party," but did not appear "unusually excited" when he put them under arrest. He also reported that one of the suspects was trying to remove a stain from his left shoe, and when questioned if it was blood, replied, "Well if it is, it is blood from some fish I caught a few days ago." After months of imprisonment, the state dropped the charges against the two men.