PORTLAND, Maine — A jury trial for one of four men accused of murder in a 2022 attempted robbery in Portland began on Wednesday, Dec. 6 at the Cumberland County Superior Court.
Damion Butterfield, 24, of Saco was indicted on three charges: intentional or knowing murder, aggravated attempted murder, and robbery. They stem from the fatal shooting of 43-year-old Derald Coffin on April 26, 2022, during an attempted robbery on Woodford Street. Coffin's friend, Annabelle Hartnett, was also shot but survived.
Butterfield has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutor Leanne Robbin presented her opening statement first. She called this a "straightforward" case, saying Butterfield shot Coffin twice in the abdomen, and he later died from his injuries. She said Butterfield also shot at Hartnett.
"[Butterfield] shot [Hartnett] through the brim of her baseball cap, barely missing her head, and shot her a second time in the arm. Neither Darry nor Annabelle were armed," Robbin said.
Robbin said this attempted robbery was related to illegal drugs. She said after the fact, Butterfield turned himself into the police on an unrelated warrant. While in jail, Butterfield bragged about his role in the shootings, according to Robbin.
"Damion Butterfield admitted that he was there. Depending on who he spoke to, he did not conceal the fact that he was the shooter. He was proud of it," Robbin said.
Butterfield's defense attorney Jim Howaniec maintains his client's innocence and said he's asking the jury to consider facts rather than emotion.
"Damion Butterfield is alienated. He's desensitized. He's immature. He's prone to outbursts and impulsivity. He's very, very mentally ill, but he is not a murderer," Howaniec said.
Howaniec said DNA from one of the other men allegedly involved in the shooting was found on the hammer of the gun—not Butterfield's DNA. He also questioned some parts of the police investigation, saying one of the other men charged in this murder—Thomas MacDonald—was one of their primary witnesses.
"He told hundreds of lies to the police. This is the state's star witness against Damion Butterfield in a murder trial," Howaniec said.
MacDonald will testify against Butterfield in exchange for a reduced charge. Trials for the other two men involved—Jonathan Geisinger and Anthony Osborne—are expected to happen in the coming months. They have each been indicted on felony murder and robbery charges.
Butterfield's trial will continue over the next few days.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated Butterfield's plea. He pleaded not guilty.