AUGUSTA — A man being held without bail on two murder charges entered a plea of no contest Wednesday to a charge of terrorizing stemming from an incident at the Kennebec County jail.

David W. Marble Jr., also known as “Dee Money,” 30, of Rochester, New York, entered the plea to the misdemeanor terrorizing charge during a brief hearing at the Capital Judicial Center. He was automatically found guilty by Justice Donald Marden and sentenced to 45 days in jail, the penalty recommended by Assistant District Attorney Tyler LeClair. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 364 days in prison.

The offense occurred Jan. 25, 2016, at the Augusta jail, and the threatened victim was a corrections officer.

“I believe that the corrections officer may have overreacted,” Marble’s attorney, Pamela Ames, told the judge. “But because of the pending murder charge, we do want the attorney general’s office to use it as an enhancement of sentencing.”

After the plea, there was a brief discussion about how Marble would pay the $20 victim’s fee that accompanies the conviction.

Ames said her client had no money.

Advertisement

“I don’t know how they are ever going to collect it,” she said.

Marden said it might be appropriate to handle the payment through any prisoner account Marble might have. The Kennebec County jail allows money to be deposited into inmate accounts, which can be used to pay for items through the commissary and for phone calls.

Ames also told Marden that a hearing on various motions in the murder case is set for Sept. 20 before Justice Michaela Murphy, who is specially assigned to the case.

Marble was indicted in February in connection with the shooting deaths of Eric Williams, 35, and Bonnie Royer, 26, an Augusta couple who were found early Dec. 25, 2015, in an SUV parked on a dirt road in Manchester not far from their home.

Each had been shot in the head, according to the state medical examiner.

An investigation by Maine State Police contends that the murders were motivated by revenge because Marble believed Williams was among those who had burglarized Marble’s apartment just two hours earlier while Marble was being driven to the Portland area on a drug run. Several people involved in the burglary said Royer was not present.

The defense has sought to find out what the state promised Timothy Bragg, allegedly for testifying that he drove Marble to and from the scene of the killing, as well as the “full name, date of birth and current address” of a person described in court documents as Maine Drug Enforcement Agency “Confidential Informant #4263,” who allegedly witnessed Bragg buying two firearms for Marble. The motion for disclosure of identity says the confidential informant gave investigators “information regarding drug trafficking, the identity of other individuals involved as well as the knowledge of David Marble Jr.’s apartment being broken into and televisions being stolen.”

Ames said she anticipates a trial early next year.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Marble was handcuffed to shackles that circled his waist.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: