High-profile court cases on Lincoln County Unified Criminal docket

Boothbay Harbor alleged shooter plea hearing Sept. 23

Fri, 09/13/2024 - 8:45am

BILL PEARSON

Tyler Witham-Jordan is seeking to suppress evidence Sept. 24 in a hearing regarding his alleged murdering of a 3-year-old Edgecomb girl. File photo

A plea hearing is set for Monday, Sept. 23 in Lincoln County Unified Criminal Court regarding Matthew A. Plummer’s alleged involvement in a Boothbay Harbor shooting. File photo

Tyler Witham-Jordan is seeking to suppress evidence Sept. 24 in a hearing regarding his alleged murdering of a 3-year-old Edgecomb girl. File photo

A plea hearing is set for Monday, Sept. 23 in Lincoln County Unified Criminal Court regarding Matthew A. Plummer’s alleged involvement in a Boothbay Harbor shooting. File photo

Two high-profile local cases are headed for hearings next week in Lincoln County Unified Criminal Court. Matthew A. Plummer, 41, of Boothbay Harbor faces three felony charges stemming from his alleged involvement in a March 19, 2023 shooting incident at Campbell Creek Housing Complex. A plea hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23.

Plummer was arrested by the Maine State Tactical Team and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office after a standoff. He was charged with a Class A offense of aggravated attempted murder and two Class C offenses, illegal possession of firearms and violating conditions of release. The shooting victim was identified as Thomas Hourihan, 35, of Wiscasset. Hourihan was treated for 10 gunshot wounds. He was later transported to a hospital and survived his wounds.

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Lincoln County Unified Criminal Court will hear Tyler Witham-Jordan’s motion to suppress evidence from his alleged involvement in the Dec. 25, 2022 death of a 3-year-old Edgecomb girl. After a yearlong investigation, Witham-Jordan of Edgecomb and Livermore was arrested in the death of Makinzlee Handrahan and charged with depraved indifference murder. In March, Witham-Jordan’s attorney filed seven motions regarding suppressing evidence. Additional suppression motions were filed in May, June and August by attorney James Howaniec of Lewiston.

On Aug. 7, Howaniec confirmed hearings on the pending motions were scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 24. Howaniec reported jury selection is set for Tuesday, Dec. 3 with the trial starting the day after a jury is seated.

In court documents, the defendant sought to suppress evidence regarding prior bad acts, an “irrelevant” Google search pertaining to rigor mortis, “irrelevant” evidence of a protection from abuse complaint, statements from a Livermore interview, limiting a paramedic’s testimony, evidence of opioid withdrawal, excluding DNA evidence, admissibility of Midcoast Child Advocacy Center interviews and possible child testimony, excluding photographs and evidence of the defendant’s blood and sperm, excluding evidence of alleged drug-related activity, evidence of alleged anger-related issues, defendant’s statements, and any other motions filed by parties “In Limine” (a pre-trial motion asking that certain evidence be found inadmissible).

A 14th motion was filed unrelated to suppressing evidence. Howaniec’s motion referred to a subpoena for production of documentary evidence by a non-party (Handrahan’s mother). In the court filing, Howaniec wrote “We are operating under the assumption that the return date on the subpoena is Sept. 24, and we will attempt to serve (her). I do not object to addressing this or any other motion out of order to accommodate her attorney’s schedule.”

One motion has already been granted, according to Howaniec: No. 6 Motion In Limine to authorize service of subpoena for production of documentary evidence by a non-party (Maine Department of Health and Human Services).