Robert Burton of Abbott, who eluded police for 68 days this summer, has been indicted by a Piscataquis County grand jury on a charge of murder in connection with the death of Stephanie Gebo.

The indictment on the murder charge and a charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person – Burton is a convicted felon – were handed up Thursday.

Gebo, 37, a single mother of two, was shot to death June 5 at her home in Parkman. She had broken up with Burton a week earlier and was so afraid of him that she had changed the house locks and slept with a handgun under her pillow, according to an affidavit by Maine State Police Detective Thomas Pickering.

Burton’s attorney, Jeffrey Toothaker of Ellsworth, said an arraignment is expected in November, when Burton will enter a not-guilty plea. No date has been set.

“I imagine this will go to trial at some point next spring,” he said.

Assistant Attorney General John Alsop is prosecuting the case.

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The charge against Burton – intentional or knowing murder – is a class A felony punishable by 25 years to life in prison. Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Burton is not allowed to possess a firearm because of a felony conviction for burglary in 2003.

Toothaker said he has been provided with about 500 pages of discovery documents, detailing only some of the state’s charges against Burton.

“I don’t know a lot of the specifics that they have,” he said in a phone interview Thursday. “I’ve talked with him, and I know what he says happened. I think you’ll find that it was her gun. We haven’t discussed much about the specifics yet. I’m waiting to see what the police have.”

Gebo’s children told police that Burton had lived with them at 46 Kulas Road in Parkman for about two years and that he had moved out May 31 to live with his parents.

Burton remains held without bail at the Piscataquis County Jail in Dover-Foxcroft.

Gebo was killed the day after Burton’s probation had ended on a domestic violence conviction that sent him to prison for 10 years.

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The search for Burton was one of the longest police manhunts in state history. Authorities think he had been living in the woods before he gave himself up at the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department, saying he was afraid he was going to be shot.

Electronic signs were erected this summer on roads leading to the Parkman/Guilford area, alerting visitors that a fugitive was at large in the area. Traffic at businesses was down, and residents said they were scared as the manhunt went on.

Doug Harlow can be contacted at 612-2367 or at:

dharlow@centralmaine.com


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