PORTLAND — A 20-year-old Gray man pleaded not guilty this morning to criminal charges in connection with the May 23 death of Eric Benson in Portland’s Monument Square.
William Googins pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault. He appeared briefly at Cumberland County Superior Court.
Police say Googins exchanged words with Benson, who was walking with a female friend in the early morning of May 23. Googins allegedly punched Benson once in the face.
Benson, 24, of Westbrook, fell to the ground and struck his head on the bricks of Monument Square. Doctors at Maine Medical Center were not able to save Benson.
Googins continues to be held on $100,000 bail at the Cumberland County Jail.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Related Stories
Latest Articles
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.