Waterville man pleads not guilty to murdering co-worker at Damon’s Beverage as new details emerge

Spridal Hubiak, 21, left, pleaded not guilty to one count of intentional or knowing murder for the death of Angela Bragg, 52, of Waterville, on Dec. 27, 2023, during an arraignment Wednesday at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta. Defense attorney Steve Smith stands beside him. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA — A Waterville man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murdering a co-worker at Damon’s Beverage in Waterville.

Spridal Hubiak, 21, pleaded not guilty to one count of intentional or knowing murder at an arraignment at the Capital Judicial Center. He is accused of killing Angela Bragg, 52, of Waterville, on Dec. 27, 2023.

Angela Bragg Photo courtesy of Plummer Funeral Home

Hubiak, in a green jail uniform and with multi-colored hair and a short beard, did not speak in court during the brief hearing, other than confirming to Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy that he was pleading not guilty, and that he could hear her.

Hubiak remains held without bail at the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison.

A probable cause affidavit in the case, which had been sealed at the request of the state, was unsealed Wednesday by Murphy.

According to the affidavit, filed by Maine State Police Detective Erin James, Hubiak is seen on video footage from Damon’s stabbing Bragg, who pleaded for him to stop.

“The video shows the victim, Angela Bragg, standing at the cash register with Spridal pacing back and forth behind her,” the affidavit states. “Spridal is seen with a knife in his hand. Spridal eventually grabs Angela and said ‘I’m sorry’ and began to stab her. Angela screamed ‘no’ and pleads to Spridal to stop and ‘we can fix this.’ Angela appears to pass out but can still be heard breathing on the audio. Spridal then picks up Angela and brings her to the ‘tasting room.'”

The attack happened at 8:19 p.m. on the video’s time stamp, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit does not suggest any motive why Hubiak would have killed Bragg.

Bragg’s daughters told police the relationship between Bragg and Hubiak was “motherly” and said Hubiak had given Bragg “gifts” on two occasions about a month apart.

According to the affidavit, a Waterville dispatcher received a 911 call at 4:34 a.m. Dec. 28, 2023, from the store manager of Damon’s Beverage, located at 6 Jefferson St. The manager said there was blood everywhere and a body in the tasting room. She said she did not know who it was, as she had not looked, but said the person was deceased.

Waterville police officers responded and confirmed there was a deceased woman with what appeared to be a large laceration to the right side of her neck.

Video footage from the day of Bragg’s death, the affidavit states, showed Hubiak locking the front doors of the business at 8:11 p.m.. The store’s operating hours would normally be until 9 p.m.

Police interviews with Hubiak’s family indicate he left their shared apartment around 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 27, and video from Damon’s shows he arrived for work at 12:49 p.m.

An investigator walks under police tape by the entrance to Damon’s Beverage in Waterville on Dec. 28, 2023, the day the body of 52-year-old Angela Bragg was found at the store, where she was an employee. Spridal Hubiak, 21, has been charged in her death, and on Wednesday he pleaded not guilty during an arraignment at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel file

Hubiak’s father told police he woke up at 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 28 and noticed Hubiak was not home. According to the affidavit, he found his son’s cellphone in the bedroom he shared with his brother and said Hubiak’s two guns were missing. Hubiak’s father also told police his son often carried a pocket knife and owns a Bowie knife kept in a sheath.

Hubiak’s sister told police it is possible Hubiak came home during the night and no one could have known. She said he was a “gamer” and always played video games at home.

Police say Hubiak left the state after Bragg was killed. He was shot by police and arrested on Dec. 31, 2023, in Flippin, Arkansas, and brought back to Maine to face the murder charge.

Hubiak was represented by Augusta attorney Steve Smith. Smith said he was not requesting a hearing to review bail.

A man who was with a small group of people who appeared to be family or friends of Bragg, said, “Enjoy yourself, Spridal” before he left the courtroom.

Damon’s Beverage has said in a statement that Bragg was “a valued employee, friend and person.” An obituary shared by Plummer Funeral Home in Augusta described Bragg as a hard worker and “the glue that held her family together.”

The prosecutor in the case is Lisa Bogue, an assistant attorney general for the state.

Murphy said there would likely be a scheduling conference for the case in May or June.