BANGOR

Testimony: Bodies found in car were badly damaged

Three bodies found in a burning car in 2012 were badly damaged, a former state medical examiner testified Friday in the trial of two men charged in the gruesome triple killing in Bangor.

As testimony got underway, first responders described the horror of finding the bodies inside a rental car discovered burning in a parking lot early on Aug. 13, 2012.

Randall Daluz of Brockton, Massachusetts, and Nicholas Sexton of Warwick, Rhode Island, are charged with three counts of murder and one count of arson.

Prosecutors say drug dealing played a role in the killings of Daniel Thomas Borders, 26, of Hermon; Nicolle Ashley Lugdon, 24, of Eddington; and Lucas Alan Tuscano, 28 of Bradford.

All of the victims had ingested drugs before their deaths, said Dr. Michael Ferenc, who was the state’s deputy chief medical examiner at the time.

Borders and Lugdon were shot in the head, he testified, while the extensive fire damage made it impossible to confirm that Tuscano was shot.

AUGUSTA

LePage’s last-minute funding proposals rejected

Lawmakers have rejected two last-minute proposals from Gov. Paul LePage to boost funding for the state’s nursing homes and efforts to combat drug trafficking.

The Appropriations Committee killed the Republican governor’s proposals late Thursday after he said he’d veto them if they sent him amended bills.

One measure would have funded several new drug enforcement agents, prosecutors and judges for special drug courts. The other would have boosted Medicaid reimbursements for nursing homes.

Democrats said they were willing to compromise to pass the bills but saw no point in advancing measures that would be vetoed. They criticized LePage for failing to work with them.

LePage said in a statement Friday that lawmakers had failed Maine people and vowed to continue working to find money to support the nursing homes.

Governor swears in new district, superior court judges

Gov. Paul LePage has administered the oath of office to a group of judges.

Taking the oath on Friday were five new District Court judges: Andrew Benson of Athens, William Schneider of Durham, Lance Walker of Falmouth, Eric Walker of Belmont and Barbara Raimondi of Auburn.

Also being sworn in were two Superior Court appointees, Justices Daniel Billings of Bowdoinham and Robert Mullen of Waterville.

– From staff and news services

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