The Saco man charged with killing a man last week is not allowed to view a police affidavit detailing the state’s evidence against him.

York County Superior Court Justice James Martemucci granted Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ackerman’s request that the document supporting Lorenze A. Labonte’s arrest remain under seal Tuesday.

The judge said Labonte’s court-appointed attorney, Verne Paradie, can view the affidavit but he cannot share the contents with his client. It is also sealed to the public. A spokesperson for the Office of the Maine Attorney General said she could not answer questions about why the prosecution made such a request.

Paradie said after the hearing that he understood the “sensitive nature” of the affidavit but planned to ask the court to unseal the document before an upcoming bail hearing so he could strategize with his client.

Labonte, 25, was arrested at his home at 103 Temple St. in Saco at around 6:30 p.m. on Monday, three days after police believe he fatally shot Ahmed Sharif, 27, of Lewiston.

He made his first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon but did not enter a plea.

Biddeford police responded to a 911 call around 2:10 p.m. Friday reporting that a person had been shot, state police spokesperson Shannon Moss said. Officers found Sharif’s body in a State Street apartment, though Moss would not elaborate on Sharif’s injuries or where he was shot. Police ruled on Sunday that his death was a homicide after an autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta.

In addition to the single count of murder, Labonte faces three other charges stemming from an incident in September: assault, terrorizing and violation of conditions of release. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Labonte spoke briefly to ask the court to reassign his case to attorney Bob LeBrasseur, whom he has worked with in the past. The judge said he would consider the request pending LeBrasseur’s approval. Labonte will remain in custody at York County Jail without bail until a bail hearing sometime in the coming days.

A woman on State Street confirmed the shooting occurred at her apartment but she declined to speak with a reporter Monday. The same address is frequently linked to Labonte in criminal files at the York Judicial Center, though police said he was living in Saco at the time of his arrest.

State police were back in Saco on Tuesday morning at Labonte’s home where they say a woman was shot and hospitalized in critical condition. A spokesperson for state police said she could not confirm whether the shooting was related to Labonte.

Court records show Labonte has a violent criminal history, including convictions for domestic violence, violating a protection order, reckless conduct and assault.

In January 2018, police arrested Labonte for allegedly stabbing his mother and her boyfriend at their State Street home. Labonte, then 20, was arguing with his mother that night when her boyfriend stepped in and asked Labonte to be more respectful, according to a police report. The two men got into a fist fight and Labonte later came in to his mother’s bedroom with a large kitchen knife. He stabbed the couple until the knife’s handle broke, police documents say.

A neighbor told police she saw Labonte leave and apologize, according to court records.

Labonte was charged with two counts of elevated aggravated assault in January 2019, records state. But those charges were dismissed in exchange for an Alford plea – the defendant doesn’t admit guilt but acknowledges that there is enough evidence to find them guilty – to a count of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and a class D assault charge. He was sentenced to 23 months in prison.

Staff Writer Emily Allen contributed to this report. 

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