AUBURN, Maine — The trial for Aaron Aldrich, who was arrested and charged with killing two people at a house in the town of Poland in February 2023, began on Monday. Aldrich is charged with two counts of intentional or knowing murder.
At the Androscoggin County Superior Court, both the prosecution and defense delivered their opening statements, which appeared to set the tone for the case as a battle over motives.
"This case is about cash and cocaine encountering greed with a gun," Assistant Attorney General John Risler said.
Risler argued Aldrich was greedy and money hungry in February of 2023, when he allegedly shot and killed 21-year-old Shoeb Mohamed Adan and 16-year-old Mohamed Aden at a mobile home in Poland.
However, Aldrich's defense attorney, Thomas Carey, said it was fear and not greed that drove his client to kill two people. "Aaron shot them because if he didn't, he would be dead," said Carey.
Prosecutors said they'll prove this wasn't a case of self-defense during the trial. They plan to offer details about Aldrich allegedly showing up to the house in Poland with a gun, leaving with a stack of stolen money, and taking a picture of himself with it after the killings, before attempting to flee the state.
"You will see the digital evidence showing the defendant planning his crime, being present at the scene and showing off the rewards of this double murder," Risler said.
The defense said many of the state's details are accurate, but accuse them of failing to prove the killings were knowing and intentional. "When you're hearing this evidence, ask yourself, how does this evidence answer the question of self defense?" Carey said.
Monday's witness testimony focused on those who knew the victims, including two women who said they were with Adan and Aden hours before their deaths and told prosecutors the pair sold drugs at the house in Poland and often had money laying around.
"They were young and flash with their money, making them an easy mark for someone so inclined," Risler said before the witness testimonies.
During cross examination of the two women, the defense asked about the state of mind of the victims. One of the witnesses answered that they were both intoxicated in the hours before their deaths.
In the days to come, the defense is expected to lay out their case and try to prove the state's evidence isn't so clear cut. "If reaction does not equal intention, then Aaron Aldridge is not guilty," Carey said.
Meanwhile, the state plans to offer the jury plenty of reasons to issue a conviction. "You will be able to see the entire picture as the puzzle comes together," Risler said.
The trial will continue again on Tuesday and is expected to last up to 2 weeks.