The mother of a woman who died in Standish last month says her daughter’s boyfriend shot the 29-year-old mother of two in their shared home with their children present, then fled and caused a standoff with police, according to a court filing.
Jeanine Brown of Sidney made the allegations in an application for a protection from abuse order, a public document filed in court. She says in the filing that her daughter, Amanda Brown, was shot and killed by her longtime boyfriend, Brandon Libby, 34, and that Libby is claiming he fired in self-defense. Brown also alleges that Libby had been physically and mentally abusive.
Brandon Libby and his mother, Lilo Libby, denied the allegations of abuse during a brief interview Wednesday and said that Brown’s death was “a tragic accident.” They declined to say more about the incident or how Amanda Brown was killed.
No one has been charged in connection with the case. Police have said Brown died as a result of an unspecified assault, but have released no further details about the cause or manner of her death.
Investigators declined to answer questions Wednesday about Libby’s contention that Brown’s death was an accident or how she died.
“This is an active case that detectives are working on in collaboration with the AG’s office,” Maine State Police spokeswoman Shannon Moss said. “At this time we cannot release any other information without jeopardizing the integrity of the investigation.”
Libby was taken into protective custody after a standoff in Waterboro and was released after being interviewed by detectives, who later said that he has been cooperative.
“We’ll correlate (the autopsy results) with his story,” Maine State Police Sgt. Chris Harriman said previously. Evidence gathered by police will be turned over to the Maine Attorney General’s Office, which will determine whether to pursue charges.
The allegations by Jeanine Brown contained in the court record is the most detailed picture yet of what may have occurred inside the home on Dow Road in Standish. Reached by phone Wednesday, Brown declined to be interviewed.
“I can’t discuss anything,” Jeanine Brown said. “It’s awful. It’s a tragedy.”
Brown filed the protection from abuse application on behalf of the couple’s two children, ages 2 and 3, according to the document. A Waterville District Court judge approved a temporary protection order June 21, the same day Brown made the application. It prevents Libby from having contact with Brown or his children, and granted the grandmother custody.
“I am in fear of my life and safety (and) of my grandchildren,” Jeanine Brown wrote in a June 21 affidavit requesting the temporary protection order. “On June 15 I believe he (Brandon) shot and killed my daughter in their home with both children present. Brandon Libby is stating self-defense.”
“I fear he will come to my home to either see or take his children,” Brown wrote. “His mental state is irrational. He may harm or kill me to get to them.”
A hearing to determine if a full, two-year protection order is warranted has been delayed till December to give criminal investigators time to complete their work, according to court records.
Brown wrote in the application that a caseworker with the Department of Health and Human Services recommended she pursue the order. She also wrote that she knew Libby had been “mentally abusive” in the past. After Amanda Brown’s death, friends came forward to tell her mother that Libby had been physically abusive, as well.
“Old friends of Amanda’s have been visiting and sharing stories of his abuse – physical and mental – towards Amanda. I was not aware of the physical abuse, however, I am aware of his mental abuse. He has extreme high anxiety which heightens when he drinks. He does drink hard liquor every day.”
Libby and his mother spoke briefly to a reporter Wednesday and disputed Brown’s narrative, pointing out that allegations haven’t been proven or supported by police.
“When someone files a PFA, as you know, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” Lilo Libby said.
The two said Brown’s death was a “tragic accident,” but declined to explain the circumstances of how Amanda Brown died or why Libby fled the scene. Police have said that Lilo Libby had been living with the couple, and she was the one who called police on June 16.
“(Amanda) was loved very much by all of us,” Lilo Libby said. “This whole thing needs to end. The truth needs to come out. People need to move on with their lives. There’s a lot of people who are really, really hurt right now. A lot of people. We’re hurting as much as (Amanda’s mother) is hurting.”
Lilo Libby said she was confident her son would not be charged criminally.
Brandon Libby said the house he went to in North Waterboro, along Mayfair Way, belongs to the mother of one of his children. It was not clear to which child he was referring. A woman who answered the door there Wednesday declined to be interviewed and said she was advised by an attorney to not comment on the case.
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