Criminal Law
Judge Finds a Maine Man Not Criminally Responsible For Killing a Christmas Tree Farmer
A judge on Wednesday accepted the defense contention that a man accused of killing a Christmas tree farmer in a random attack was not criminally responsible for his actions because of mental illness.
Quinton Hanna, 24, of Freeport, fatally stabbed 82-year-old James Pearson in the front yard of his Scarborough home in December 2019. Another man, in Freeport, was stabbed, but survived the attack. Hanna also was charged with assaulting a woman in West Bath.
The director of the Maine State Forensic Service testified Hanna suffered from schizophrenia and was experiencing a break from reality.
