LEWISTON — A judge Monday ordered a local man held without bail on a murder charge stemming from the Saturday slaying of another Lewiston man.
Jerry Thibodeau, 36, of Lewiston was arrested Saturday night in connection with the death of Anthony Ayotte, 40, of Lewiston, according to officials.
Jerry Thibodeau, 36, appeared in 8th District Court by videoconference from Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn where he has been held since his arrest late Saturday.
Thibodeau is charged with the intentional or knowing murder of Anthony Ayotte, 40.
Thibodeau said Monday he understood the charge.
A murder conviction in Maine carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Thibodeau was not asked by the judge Monday to enter a plea to the criminal complaint.
Before the case can proceed to trial, a grand jury must hand up an indictment against Thibodeau unless he were to waive his right to have a grand jury review the case for probable cause.
Assistant Attorney General Lisa Bogue said she is seeking a Harnish hearing, a two-part process where a judge hears from prosecutors evidence aimed at establishing probable cause that the defendant committed the crime, followed by bail arguments.
Kayla Alves, who, with defense attorney Steve Smith, is representing Thibodeau, said she would waive the rule that a Harnish hearing be held within five court days of the prosecutors’ request.
“We would like to see more discovery (of the state’s evidence) before we file anything,” Alves said.
Prosecutors asked Monday — and the judge approved — sealing the affidavit supporting the arrest warrant for Thibodeau. That document is filed in order to provide evidence of probable cause that Thibodeau committed the crime.
Investigators said Ayotte was dropped off about 7:30 p.m. Friday at the emergency department at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, where he was treated, but died Saturday morning after succumbing to his injuries, according to a spokeswoman at the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Detectives from the Lewiston Police Department and Maine State Police conducted interviews and collected evidence, which led to an arrest warrant for Thibodeau.
Police located him Saturday evening at a home on Sabattus Street, where he refused to leave, creating a police standoff that lasted for hours until his arrest that night.
Investigators believe Thibodeau, who apparently knew Ayotte, had dropped him off at the hospital on Friday night.
Ayotte’s body was taken to the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta, where an autopsy was expected to be performedn Sunday to determine the cause and manner of death.
While the manner of death has been confirmed a homicide, Maine Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Shannon Moss said Monday that the cause of Ayotte’s death is being withheld.
Thibodeau’s criminal history shows he was indicted in August on charges of aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs, illegal possession of a firearm and assault on an emergency medical care provider.
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