BANGOR (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- According to court documents, Philip Clark confessed to the murder of his sister-in-law, Renee Clark in July.
On Monday, Philip pled not guilty to that murder.
Police are looking into the events leading up to Renee's death. Including an alleged altercation between Philip and a priest at Renee's church, Father Anthony Cipolle.
"We're really in the middle of conducting our investigation. We know the state is conducting their own investigation but we've been a little bit hindered in the process of conducting our investigation by our inability to interview and successfully ask questions to this priest that was somehow involved in this situation. Father Cipolle I understand." Defense attorney, Logan Perkins, said.
According to court documents, Philip confessed to killing Renee. But today he entered a different plea.
"Well the not guilty plea is a way of saying this case is more complicated than it appears and there's more that meets the eyes here. We're really in the middle of conducting our investigation, we know the state is conducting their investigation." Perkins said. "Only the report of a particular officer who has interpreted the situation in its own way so when we learn more about the evidence when the state has we'll analyze it and decide whether we agree that it's the proper way to view that evidence or if there's another way to view it."
Renee had a filed a protection from abuse statue against Philip in February, where she wrote Philip threatened to make her--- "stop breathing"--- but the order was denied.
The order was denied because a protection from abuse order.
Abuse is defined on http://legislature.maine.gov as, "the occurrence of the following acts between family or household members or dating partners or by a family or household member or dating partner upon a minor child of a family or household member or dating partner."
Because Philip lived in the same building as Renee, but not the same apartment or "household" the order was denied.
Renee could have filed a protection from harassment but that wouldn't be enough for Philip to have to surrender his firearms.
So she was not entitled to the relief under protection from abuse. Even though she may have been entitled to relief under protection from harassment, she would not have gotten the relief of having the guns turned in." Rep. Barbara Cardone, (D) Bangor, said.
Some states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut have a third option.
This option is called the Red Flag Bill.
This bill was created to to promote responsible gun ownership.
"If that was proven that that person was a high risk individual the court could order that that person surrender their guns for a limited amount of time in order to eliminate them from becoming, from hurting themselves, it was a suicide prevention as well. Or hurting others. And we’re looking at it in terms of domestic shootings, school shootings." Cardone said.
The Red Flag Bill was not passed in Maine.