HOULTON, Maine — After an eight day trial and eight hours of deliberation, jurors found a Houlton man guilty of murder in the beating and stabbing death of 61-year-old Keith Suitter two years ago.
Several members of the Suitter family, who were in the courtroom throughout the trial, cried quietly when the verdict was announced against 20-year-old Reginald Dobbins. Dobbins remained expressionless as the verdict was read, as he has throughout the trial.
A sentencing date has not been set.
“This has been a difficult process, but dad’s name has been vindicated and justice has been served,” Keith Suitter’s daughter, Kristin Moore, said afterword on behalf of the family. She also praised the jury and all the officials involved in investigating and prosecuting the case.
Dobbins was 18 when he was accused of the brutal killing during what the prosecutor described as a drug-related robbery at Suitter’s mobile home on March 1, 2015.
An autopsy revealed last year that the victim suffered 21 blunt-force trauma blows, mostly to the head, which appeared to have been inflicted by a hammer, and 10 stab wounds to the head and back.
The defense team, led by attorney Hunter Tzovarras, pinned the blame on the co-defendant in the case, Samuel Geary of Houlton, saying it was the then-16 year old who beat and stabbed the victim to death two years ago.
In a hearing held last year to determine whether he would be tried as an adult, Geary said he saw Dobbins attack Suitter with a hammer. Geary admitted that he himself “tried to stab” the victim, but instead cut his finger with the knife. The younger defendant also told the judge at that hearing last year that Dobbins then grabbed the knife and stabbed Suitter multiple times.
After the judge determined he would be tried as an adult, Geary pleaded guilty to murder on May 25 in Washington County Superior Court in Machias. A sentencing date for Geary also has yet to be set. When called to the stand to testify in Dobbins’ trial, Geary pleaded the fifth amendment against self-incrimination.
After they began deliberations Tuesday afternoon, jurors sent out three notes. One note asked the judge to clarify a legal question for them, while the other two asked for testimony from a witness read back and a taped police interview of Dobbins played back.
The jurors specifically wanted to review testimony regarding the clothing that a Houlton pastor said Dobbins and Geary were wearing on the night of the murder, as well as video of Dobbins telling police what he was wearing that night. The questions from the jurors about clothing centered on a black trench coat belonging to Dobbins that has been a key piece of evidence in the trial. Jennifer Sabine, a forensic DNA analyst, told jurors last week that the black trench coat belonging to Dobbins was stained in several places with Suitter’s blood, including on the interior of the jacket. Sabine said that Dobbins’ skin cells were on the cuff and the collar of the jacket. At the same time, Geary’s blood was found in a spot on the back of the jacket.
Prosecutor John Alsop told jurors that Suitter’s blood was on the inside of the jacket because it was unbuttoned when Dobbins was bludgeoning the victim. Alsop added that Geary’s blood was on the back because the intoxicated teenager reached out to stabilize himself and wiped the blood from his cut finger on the back of Dobbins’ coat.
Dobbins, who did not take the stand in his own defense, told police in taped interviews that he lent his black trench coat to Geary on the night of the murder, and that Geary was wearing it when he beat and stabbed Suitter to death.
During the trial, jurors also learned that Suitter’s truck had been stolen from the crime scene. Dobbins told police in one video that Geary drove the truck and crashed it, but Sabine testified that Geary’s DNA was found on the exterior passenger door handle, the interior passenger side door release, and on a passenger side sun visor. In a third and final video recorded of Dobbins while state police were taking him to jail, Dobbins changed his statement and admitted that he was in fact driving the truck.
Suitter’s blood also was found on one of Dobbins’ sneakers and on a knife that was located in a hole in the wall in Dobbins’ bedroom.
Alsop said after the verdict that he thought there was “overwhelming evidence” against Dobbins and he was grateful to have had a good jury that made the proper decision. He commended Maine State Police Detective Jason Fowler and Sgt. Darrin Crane for their work on the case, as well as victim witness advocate Michelle Cram.
