CARIBOU, Maine — An Easton man accused of killing his 79-year-old stepfather has been indicted by the Aroostook County grand jury.
Aroostook County District Attorney Todd Collins said Tuesday that the grand jury indicted James Peaslee, 37, along with 33 other individuals, when it met on Thursday, Feb. 8, for its second session of the year.
Peaslee was charged with murder and using a firearm to intentionally or knowingly cause the death of Paul Hilenski of Bridgewater. Police have released little information about the Jan. 17 incident, and the affidavit has been impounded.
The Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call about 6 p.m. on Jan. 17 from Hilenski’s Boundary Line Road home in Bridgeport, according to Maine Department of Public Safety spokesman Stephen McCausland.
Police did not indicate what led them to Peaslee, but arrested him at about 1 a.m. the following day as he was driving on the West Ridge Road in Easton.
Peaslee has a lengthy criminal record in Maine dating back to an assault in 1998, according to the state’s Bureau of Identification. While specifics about incidents are not included in the 35-page criminal record provided by the bureau, it shows that Peaslee has been convicted of multiple crimes in the last two decades, including criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, assault, terrorizing, unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, refusing to submit to arrest, violating bail conditions, and violating conditions of probation.
The grand jury this month also indicted Christopher Coty, 37, of Houlton on charges of domestic violence assault with priors, domestic violence criminal threatening with priors, criminal mischief and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The domestic violence assault with priors charge stems from a December 2017 incident in which he allegedly “knowingly or recklessly caused bodily injury or offensive physical contact,” to a family or household member, according to Collins. The incident occurred after Coty had previously been convicted of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon in June 2017. The domestic violence criminal threatening with priors charge allegedly stems from an incident in which he had already been convicted of domestic violence assault and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon charge against the same victim.
Coty also was indicted on criminal mischief charges for allegedly breaking the victim’s cell phone.
In another case, Joseph M. Dobbins, 20, also of Houlton, was indicted on a charge of assault on an officer after a Dec. 16, 2016, incident after he allegedly “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caused bodily injury to Houlton Police Officer Travis Smith.”
Dobbins also was charged with refusing to submit to arrest on that same day, along with criminal mischief for allegedly destroying a police body camera.
Dobbins has previously been convicted of domestic violence assault on July 3, 2017, and again on Nov. 8, 2016, according to court documents.
Other indictments handed down in February are:
Christopher M. Lezotte, 26, Houlton, theft with priors.
Ronald L. Lycette, Amity, 58, theft, violation of bail, unlawful
cutting of trees.
John A.Ramsey, 44, Houlton, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, violation of bail.
Tyler E. McCluskey, Houlton, 34, domestic violence terrorizing with priors.
Jade M. Jones, 32, Orient, aggravated furnishing of scheduled drugs.
Nicklos O. McGuire, 27, Littleton, aggravated assault, violation of condition of release.
Lionel W. Hamm, 47, Oakfield, domestic violence criminal threatening, domestic violence assault, gross sexual assault (two counts).
Daryl E. Doody, 39, Presque Isle, operating after revocation with priors.
Jennifer M. Annett, 41, Houlton, assault with priors, violation of conditions of release.
Lee J. Brooker Jr., 50, Monticello, possession of a firearm by prohibited person, fraudulently obtaining hunting license.
Andrew D. Ashton, 27, Monticello, aggravated assault, obstructing report of a crime, domestic violence assault, criminal mischief.
Lisa L. Bishop, 36, Island Falls, stealing drugs.
Melissa Sawyer, 41, Linneus, arson.
Ronald L. Hartt, 47, Benedicta, domestic violence assault with priors.
John C. Henderson, 59, Bridgewater, possession of sexually explicit materials, (two counts).
Laura C. McDonald, 31, Houlton, theft with priors, assault with priors, criminal mischief.
Katherine Boisvert, 39, Newton, Connecticut, aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs.
MichelleLiz Pene, 19, Waterbury, Connecticut, aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs.
Emilio Poventud-Gonell, 32, Waterbury, Connecticut, aggravated trafficking of scheduled drugs.
Benjamin K. Stewart, 29, Weston, aggravated operating under the influence, eluding, night hunting, having a loading firearm in a vehicle, possession of scheduled drugs.
Anthony Williams, 33, Augusta, domestic violence criminal threatening, domestic violence assault, criminal mischief.
Bryant L Corriveau, 26, Caribou, operating under the influence with priors, operating beyond license restriction.
Wallace Endy, Jr., 32, Mars Hill, aggravated assault.
Tammy Kinney, 36, Presque Isle, theft of less than $1,000, forgery.
Amanda L.Tompkins, 34, Fort Fairfield, burglary of motor vehicle, theft with priors, criminal trespass.
Nicole R. Hall, 29, Houlton, criminal trespass (three counts), theft (two counts), operating after revocation.
Leslie A. Phelps, 39, Island Falls, domestic violence assault with priors.
Adam M. Hayes, 31, Hodgdon, operating after revocation.
Ares J. Rattray, 20, Houlton, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon (two counts), theft, possession of scheduled drugs.
Pierre P. Verret, 41, Grand Isle, theft by deception, failure to execute assignment and warranty of title.
Greg W. Hitchcock, 45, Island Falls, theft with priors.
