BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) — A defense attorney for now admitted murderer Anthony Lord said we'll learn more at a sentencing hearing about the state of mind his client was in when he went on a shooting rampage in northern Maine in July 2015 that left two people dead and three others injured.
Lord pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Rockland courtroom to two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and several other charges stemming from a 24-hour long spree of violence July 16-17 in 2015.
Lord's defense attorney, David Bate said his client was dealing with extreme grief at the killing of his infant son just a few months before the shooting rampage. None of his victims had anything to do with his child's death. Bate said it's not an excuse for his client's actions, but may help to give some perspective as to how it may have happened.
"I think what's going to happen and what's going to be clear at sentencing is that Mr. Lord's conduct was inextricably tied to the murder of his infant son two and a half months prior to this incident," Bate said. "It's not offered as a defense but as an explanation of how this incident came to pass."
Jesse Mackin is accused of manslaughter in the death of Lord's infant son in early May 2015. Mackin was involved with Lord's ex-girlfriend at the time the infant was killed.
Lord will be sentenced Aug. 7 at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor. NEWS CENTER reached out to some of Lord's victims who declined to comment at this time.
Lord admitted to murdering 22-year-old Kyle Hewitt and 58-year-old Kevin Tozier. He also admitted to shooting and injuring Kim Irish and Clayton McCarthy, both 57, and 52-year-old Carlton Eddy. All his victims were from Benedicta except for Clayton McCarthy who is from Lee.
