BELFAST, Maine — Matthew Pendleton, 47, of Lincolnville made his first court appearance on Tuesday after being charged with killing 47-year-old Kevin Curit.
"They went to high school together. They were friends. They were roommates, and then the terrible happened," Chad Cyr, a friend of both Pendleton and Curit, said. "It's unbelievable. It's unreal is what it is, and it's disgusting."
For some, it was an emotional morning in the Waldo County courtroom. Some of Curit's family and friends were shouting at Pendleton at the end of the preliminary court hearing.
State officials have not confirmed the relationship between Pendleton and Curit, however, Cyr said the two men were living together.
If found guilty, Pendleton could face at least 25 years in prison or a maximum of life behind bars.
"Matt's gone for a long time. We lost two people is what happened," Cyr said.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Curit's death as a homicide, according to a release from the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Cyr said he will always remember Curit as one of his best friends and someone who was a "good person."
"He would give the shirt off his back literally right now, and what is it, 20 degrees out?" Cyr said. "He'd do anything for anybody."
Pendleton is being held without bail at Waldo County Jail. He is scheduled to be back in court at Waldo County Judicial Center on Feb. 6.