A Richmond man entered pleas of not guilty Wednesday to charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault in the death of his father.
Kurt M. Linton, 54, remains at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.
Linton’s attorney, David Paris, said Wednesday his client pleaded not guilty to all three charges contained in the indictment handed up earlier this month by a grand jury in Sagadahoc County.
The indictment included a charge of leaving the scene of an accident involving an attended vehicle. All the charges say the offenses occurred “on or about Feb. 9, 2017,” in Richmond.
Kurt Linton was arraigned in West Bath District Court.
Linton is accused of injuring his father, Malcolm Linton, 76, at his father’s Richmond home on Feb. 9, 2017.
The elder Linton, a teacher who retired from Gardiner Regional Middle School in 1991, died Feb. 22 at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, where he was being treated for his injuries.
The state medical examiner said Malcolm Linton died as a result of “multiple complications following blunt impact of head,” according to an affidavit by Maine State Police Detective Joshua Birmingham. The affidavit indicates that Richmond police went to Malcolm Linton’s home at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 9 after Sharon Linton — the victim’s wife — called to report that her son had been fighting with his father and that the son had left in her vehicle.
Police found Malcolm Linton suffering from trauma to the left side of his face.
“Malcolm Linton had blood on his forehead, blood in his left eye, severe bruising on forehead and down his left side. Malcolm Linton’s left eye was almost swollen shut,” Birmingham’s report says, adding that Malcolm Linton was unable to stand.
Another affidavit by Sgt. James Donnell says when Kurt Linton left his parents’ home in his mother’s vehicle, he “rear-ended a pickup truck, causing the airbags to go off” but continued to drive along U.S. Route 201 to a property where he was living that also was owned by his parents.
Police also took note during the interview that one of Kurt Linton’s eyes was red and appeared injured. Linton told police “he punched Malcolm defending himself.” Other information indicated Linton most recently had been drinking four 24-ounce beers.
Donnell wrote that Kurt Linton had been staying with his parents in their Sharmac Lane home for most of the winter.
Court documents indicate Kurt Linton had been disabled since 2012 and that he was divorced.
A dispositional conference in the case is set for June 28 in West Bath. The case is specially assigned to Justice Daniel Billings.
The prosecutor is Assistant Attorney General Bud Ellis.
Betty Adams — 621-5631
Twitter: @betadams
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