KNOX COUNTY, Maine — Dennis Dechaine, the man convicted in 1988 of kidnapping and murdering 12-year-old Sarah Cherry, now stands on the brink of a potential new trial.
Recent DNA testing conducted in 2022 has excluded Dechaine from three of six crime-related items found at the crime scene, raising questions about the validity of his previous conviction.
Sarah Cherry, a 12-year-old girl from Bowdoin, was tragically murdered while babysitting at a home in 1988.
The discovery of a receipt and a notebook bearing Dennis Dechaine's name in the driveway added a layer of complexity to the case, but Dechaine has consistently stated his innocence.
In an interview with NEWS CENTER Maine in 1992, he expressed disbelief at the evidence against him, suggesting that someone purposely placed items with his name on them at the crime scene.
In 2022, Dechaine's lawyer, John Nale, sought a hearing to present new evidence challenging the blood found under the victim's fingertips.
DNA testing excluded Dechaine from three critical items related to the crime, including a stick used for sexual torture and a scarf used in the strangulation of Cherry.
Scheduled for April 18 and April 19 in Knox County Superior Court, Dechaine's legal team will argue that the new DNA results merit a new trial.
The judge has agreed to allow a DNA expert to testify, provided the lab employee who conducted the tests also takes the stand. Notably, Dechaine's former attorney will not be allowed to testify on his behalf.
For the family and friends of Sarah Cherry, the pursuit of justice has spanned over three decades.
"Talented, smart, she had a great future ahead of her. We're going to do everything to make sure he stays where he belongs, then rots in hell after that," Cherry's grandmother told NEWS CENTER Maine in an interview 20 years after Dechaine's arrest.