Matthew Pendleton is escorted into the courtroom at the Waldo County Judicial Center on Tuesday during his first court appearance since being charged with murder in the death of Kevin Curit on Friday. Photo by Kendra Caruso
BELFAST — Tensions ran high at the Waldo County Judicial Center on Tuesday during the first court appearance for a Lincolnville man charged with murder in the death of another Lincolnville man on Friday.
Justice Robert Murray ordered Matthew Pendleton, 47, to be held without bail in the death of Kevin Curit, 47, pending a motion for a hearing on a Harnish bail proceeding, and set a status hearing for Feb. 6. Attorney Jeremy Pratt is representing Pendleton.
The murder charge carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
As apparent friends and family of the victim and defendant left the courtroom Tuesday morning, some shouted profanities at Pendleton, while others slammed doors as they exited. Several could be heard saying “rot in hell” as Pendleton was escorted from the courtroom. The bailiff ordered those people to leave the courtroom immediately.
The Waldo County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from 54 Thorndike Road in Lincolnville for an unresponsive male at 9:39 a.m. Friday. Sheriff’s deputies responded and found Curit dead, the Maine Department of Public Safety said in a statement on Saturday.
The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit responded and detectives and evidence technicians worked throughout the day and into the early morning hours of Saturday conducting interviews and processing the scene.
The death was ruled a homicide following an autopsy conducted at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta. The cause of death is being withheld at the request of the Maine Attorney General’s Office.
Pendleton was taken into custody and charged with Curit’s death Saturday.
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