September 24, 2012

Medical examiner: Heavy object used to kill St. Peter

Doug Harlow Staff Writer

SKOWHEGAN — The state's chief medical examiner testified this morning that 20-year-old Rita St. Peter died as a result of blunt impact injury to the head and chest.

Dr. Margaret Greenwald said that the autopsy report by then chief medical examiner Henry Ryan showed that a long, heavy object was used on St. Peter.

The testimony came during the third day of the murder trial in Somerset County Superior Court for Jay Mercier, 57, of industry who is accused of killing St. Peter in July 1980.

The young woman's body was found  July 5, 1980, off Campground Road in Anson. The trial continues today.
 

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Rita St. Peter in an undated file photo. She was 20 at the time of her death when her body was found off the Campground Road in Anson on July 5, 1980.

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Staff photo by David Leaming Murder defendant Jay Mercier looks around in court during his trial in Somerset County Superior Court in Skowhegan on Thursday in the death of Rita St. Peter 32-years-ago.

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