BIDDEFORD — A Biddeford landlord charged with murdering two teenagers in 2012 is scheduled to change his plea to guilty Wednesday to avoid the “emotional distress” of a trial, according to his attorney.
James Pak, who is in his late 70s, has been charged with two counts of murder in the Dec. 29, 2012, shooting deaths of 19-year-old Derrick Thompson and his 18-year-old girlfriend Aliva Welch, as well as one count of aggravated attempted murder in the shooting of Thompson’s mother, Susan Johnson.
According to police, Pak shot the victims after a dispute over parking and snow removal at the building where he rented an apartment to Johnson and her son.
“Looking at the inevitability of the outcome, it was (Pak’s) desire to save the victims’ family and friends and himself and his wife from the emotional distress that would come with basically a needless trial,” Pak’s attorney, Joel Vincent, said today.
Pak had originally pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Pak’s mental competency to stand trial was debated at two hearings last year, before Justice John O’Neil Jr. ruled in November that Pak is capable of standing trial.
Vincent said the competency ruling more or less made the case unwinnable for the defense. “Really, the issue in this case was about his competency, and that’s been at this point determined by the court,” he said.
With the minimum sentence for a single homicide in Maine being 25 years and the average in cases with multiple victims being 40 years, Vincent said whatever sentence is imposed on Pak would “obviously be the equivalent of a life sentence, and (Pak) understands that.”
A call to Leane Zainea, who is prosecuting the case, was not immediately returned.
This story will be updated.
— Staff Writer Angelo J. Verzoni can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or averzoni@journaltribune.com.
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