CARIBOU, Maine — A Florida octogenarian on trial for murder admitted through his attorney in court Wednesday that he killed his 86-year-old friend of four years at the man’s house in Presque Isle last year, but that he did so in self-defense after a fight broke out between the two.
During opening statements in the trial, defense attorney John Tebbetts said that his client, Robert Craig, 81, of Clearwater, Florida, had no choice but to strangle Leo Corriveau in order to survive. Tebbets said that a fight broke out after Corriveau reneged on a promise to take Craig to Hermon to catch a bus and to also pay for his trip back to Florida.
Craig is charged with intentional murder, which carries a prison sentence of 25 years to life. Craig and Corriveau came to Maine to stay at Corriveau’s Presque Isle home on July 12, according to an affidavit filed by Maine State Police Sgt. Darrin Crane.
Presque Isle resident Leo Corriveau, who died at age 86 as a result of a homicide that is still under investigation. (Courtesy of Scott Englund)
Craig allegedly killed Corriveau on July 21 at the victim’s Route 1 home, fled with about $400 and Corriveau’s red Buick Enclave SUV to Hermon, then took a bus from there back to Florida.
Tebbetts said Wednesday that after an argument broke out, the two men ended up on the ground with the victim straddling Clark’s stomach and hitting him. The defense attorney said that Clark has chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and asthma and could not breathe, so he put his hands around the victim’s neck and squeezed until Corriveau let go of him.
Assistant Attorney General Robert “Bud” Ellis disputed the self-defense theory in his opening statements, saying that Craig killed Corriveau in a rage and callously took his property after leaving the victim’s body in the backyard to be discovered 40 hours later by family members.
The prosecutor said Corriveau was strangled so hard that the hyoid bone in his neck was broken.
Several of Corriveau’s children testified Wednesday about attempting to unsuccessfully contact their father for several days last July. Then, daughter Dolly Libby and her husband went to the house and discovered Corriveau face down on the ground in the backyard, with his left hand splayed out and his right hand underneath him. He was shirtless, and a blue checkered shirt that surveillance footage showed him wearing on the day of his death was found on the kitchen table. A baseball hat and a pair of glasses with the lenses knocked out were found next to his head.
After noticing the SUV was gone, police contacted OnStar, an in-vehicle navigation and communication system, and located it in Hermon. David Yankowski, a Maine State Police evidence response technician, testified that he processed the vehicle and found a stain that tested positive for blood on the seat of the vehicle. Ellis said that the blood belonged to Corriveau. The family members also pointed police toward Clark, as most of Corriveau’s children had met him during his stay in Maine.
The state medical examiner determined in an autopsy that Corriveau was strangled, suffered broken ribs and cuts on his arm and head, and likely died at least 40 hours before his body was found.
State Medical Examiner Margaret Greenwald was expected to testify about the autopsy Wednesday afternoon.
Justice Harold Stewart II is presiding over the case, which is being decided by a jury.
Corriveau also is being represented by court appointed Attorney Stephen Smith. The trial is expected to last through the week and possibly into next week.
