BANGOR, Maine — The Aroostook County man accused of fatally shooting two men and injuring four other people in a two-county rampage that lasted 18 hours in July pleaded not guilty Monday at the Penobscot Judicial Center to two counts of murder and 15 other charges.
Anthony Lord, 35, of Houlton and Crystal is accused of shooting five people, killing two of them, beating another man and kidnapping a woman he knew, according to police.
He pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts each of intentional or knowing murder, attempted murder with a firearm and theft of a firearm. Lord also pleaded not guilty to five counts of reckless conduct with a firearm and one count each of arson, aggravated assault with a firearm, elevated aggravated assault with a firearm, kidnapping, eluding an officer and aggravated assault with the use of a dangerous weapon.
Lord, who has recently been held at the Maine State Prison in Warren, quietly but clearly replied, “Not guilty,” when asked to enter his pleas. He was dressed in a dark blue dress shirt, spotted tie and slacks. His beard also has grown fuller since his arrest.
After the hearing, a member of his defense team described Lord as “emotional,” but he did not appear to express those emotions in court.
The Penobscot County murder indictment was connected to the death of Kevin Tozier, 58, of Lee on July 17 at a woodlot in Lee. Lord was indicted in August in Bangor.
The murder charge in Aroostook County is connected to the July 17 shooting death of Kyle Hewitt, 22, in Benedicta, according to the indictment released by the Maine attorney general’s office Friday after Lord was indicted in that county. Hewitt was the boyfriend of Brittany Irish, the woman Lord knew and is accused of kidnapping.
The arson count, also a Class A felony charge, stems from a fire he allegedly set to a barn owned by Kim and Richard Irish on July 16 in Benedicta.
The cases were combined for Monday’s arraignment, defense attorney Logan Perkins of Bangor said after the proceeding. She said that she expected the Maine attorney general’s office to request to have the cases combined but did not know whether that would be in Bangor or in Houlton.
Assistant Attorneys General Leann Zainea and Deb Cashman declined to speak to reporters Monday.
Superior Court Justice Ann Murray ordered that Lord continue to be held without bail and undergo a psychological evaluation in the Aroostook County case as she did previously in the Penobscot County case when Lord made his first appearance on the charges. She set a status conference with attorneys in December.
If convicted, Lord faces between 25 years and life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that a defendant convicted on multiple counts of murder may be sentenced to life in prison.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.
Bangor Daily News writers Dawn Gagnon and Jen Lynds contributed to this report.
