ALFRED, Maine (AP) - A Maine jury ruled on Friday that a Limington man is guilty of murder in the machete killing of his neighbor.
The jury of five women and seven men deliberated for more than four hours before reaching the verdict in the trial of Bruce Akers, the Portland Press Herald reported. Douglas Flint, 55, was reported missing in June 2016 before police searched Akers’ property and found Flint’s body under a pile of debris and deer hides.
Prosecutors said Akers, 61, killed Flint with a machete during a fight stemming from an argument about allegations of stolen alcohol. The assistant attorney general in the case said Akers killed Flint in a fit of rage.
Akers’ defense attorney, Valerie Randall, said the police investigation was flawed and that Akers’ mental health played an important role. A psychiatrist who testified during the trial said Akers suffers from mental illness and experiences paranoia and delusions.
Akers will face a minimum sentence of 25 years to life in prison when sentencing takes place.
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