ALFRED — Ross Morrill allegedly told police that he had been hearing voices for several days that told him his stepfather was going to hurt him and his mother.
On Saturday afternoon, as his parents were outside washing their car, Morrill allegedly said he picked up a 30.06 rifle he had earlier hidden under his bed. In court documents, Maine State Police detectives said Morrill told them he stood in the computer room where he could see Robert Morrill in the driveway. Then, he allegedly fired a shot at his stepfather through the open window.
The older Morrill, 55, told his wife Vickie “I’ve been shot,” according to an affidavit filed by Maine State Police. She ran into the house and saw her son, grabbed the gun leaning in the corner of the room and called 911. The elder Morrill was rushed to Goodall Hospital in Sanford by ambulance, where he died a short time later.
Maine State Police took Ross Morrill into custody Saturday evening. He has been charged with murder.
On Tuesday, Ross Morrill, 22, who told police he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was 18, made a first appearance at York County Superior Court, where Justice G. Arthur Brennan ordered a competency evaluation.
Morrill didn’t speak during the hearing, nor did he look toward his family members sitting in the courtroom.
Following the brief appearance, his court-appointed attorney Darren Locke said the next step is the evaluation to determine if Morrill is competent to stand trial.
“We’re not sure what really happened,” said Locke. “This is a serious case, a tragedy. We’ll be investigating the case. Once the cameras go off, the work begins.”
Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese said a stage one competency evaluation determines whether an individual understands the charges against him, the consequences, and whether the individual is able to assist his defense counsel.
“He will be evaluated to see if he is competent. We’ll evaluate to see if he suffers from some sort of mental issue,” she said, referring to Morrill’s statement to police that he suffered from schizophrenia. She said the first evaluation will likely lead to a second, to determine if Morrill appreciates the wrongfulness of his actions.
Marchese said a determination of lack of competency is rare in Maine. In this case, she said, “Right now, we just don’t know.”
“In many respects, Mrs. Morrill lost both her husband and her son,” said Marchese.
According to the police affidavit, Morrill said he and his stepfather went to the cemetery in Milton Mills, N.H. to dig a grave Saturday morning, a task Robert Morrill did as a part-time job. Ross Morrill often helped.
Ross allegedly told police that while they were working, he “heard voices coming from Bob,” that indicated the elder Morrill was going to sexually assault Vickie Morrill and then beat and sexually assault him. The elder Morrill left the cemetery to go to a meeting and Ross Morrill went home.
Ross Morrill allegedly told his mother he had returned home to protect her and she told him Robert Morrill wasn’t going to hurt anyone and took him back to the cemetery.
After lunch at home, Vickie and Robert Morrill went outside to wash their car.
“Ross said he went and took the rifle out and several times aimed it at Bob but was unable to shoot it out of fear,” police wrote in the affidavit. “Ross said he then saw Bob touch his mother’s buttocks and he decided he had to kill Bob.”
His brother-in-law Steven Norman, who lives adjacent to the Morrill property, told police he heard a gunshot and Vickie Morrill say “Ross, no.” Norman rushed over and told police he heard Vickie Morrill call 911 and say “my husband’s been shot by my son.”
“Ross said it didn’t seem real to him, and his mother came in and took the rifle from him,” Maine State Police Det. Jennifer King wrote in the affidavit supporting probable cause to charge Morrill with murder. Morrill then allegedly told his mother he wanted the gun back so he could shoot himself.
Morrill was ordered held without bail pending a hearing, which has not been scheduled.
Robert Morrill was employed at Pratt & Whitney and also took care of several cemeteries, according to his obituary. He was described as a meticulous man who took pride in his work, and was unselfish with his time and talents. His funeral is set for Friday from Alfred Parish Church.
— Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@gwi.net.
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