BANGOR (AP) — A man accused of luring a 15-year-old girl to her death with a fake Facebook page was at home with his family the night of the killing, his attorneys said Monday, accusing the prosecution of making “big mistakes” in their case.
But prosecutors said the evidence linking 21-year-old Kyle Dube to Nichole Cable’s 2013 murder and abduction is considerable — the phony Facebook account was traced to his home, his DNA was found on a hat at the end of Nichole’s driveway and cell tower records show that he was in the area of Nichole’s home.
Dube’s trial got underway in Bangor with opening statements and tearful testimony from the mother of Nichole, a high school sophomore from Glenburn whose body was found in woods in nearby Old Town after an eight-day search.
Police have said Dube told others that he’d intended to abduct Nichole and later come to her rescue. His plan was to kidnap her while wearing a ski mask, return later without the disguise, find her and be hailed as a hero, authorities have said.
But defense attorney Wendy Hatch said Monday that the state rushed to judge Dube, and she argued that someone else had committed the crimes.
“We are here to show you the state has holes in their case. They have mistakes, big mistakes,” Hatch told the jury, adding that Dube “got up the next morning, got dressed, kissed his daughter goodbye and went to work.”
Assistant Attorney General Donald Macomber said Dube’s DNA was also found on Cable’s fingernails, and he had scratches on his face after she disappeared. He also said Dube alluded to the crime while having an emotional outburst as officers tried to calm him down while he reported to jail for an unrelated traffic offense.
“Dube responded it was what he had done, that they didn’t know he had done, that he was worried about,” Macomber said.
Monday’s statements marked the beginning of a trial that is expected to last two weeks and includes a witness list with more than 80 names. The case prompted discussions about the appropriate use of social media at the high school she attended in Old Town.
Nichole’s mother, Kristine Wiley, testified that she knew Dube as a friend of her daughter’s who came by their house two or three times before her disappearance. Between tears, she testified that Dube reached out to her with an offer to baby-sit her other children after Nichole vanished but before her body was found.
Wiley said Dube first told her he had heard Wiley said he was responsible for Nichole’s disappearance. Wiley said she denied the accusation and that Dube then told her “if I needed anything, call” and that he would watch her other children for her. She said she never took him up on the offer.
Dube, of Orono, appeared in court Monday with closely cropped hair and wearing a black suit. He showed little emotion as the trial began.
Police have said the fake Facebook profile was under the name of another young man who had no involvement in the abduction. That man, Bryan Butterfield, testified Monday that he was aware Dube didn’t like him.
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