The man charged with murder in a shooting in downtown Portland on Monday made his first court appearance Wednesday morning, but he did not enter a plea.
Omar Abd Elkader, 21, appeared virtually in the Cumberland County Courthouse shortly before 2 p.m. He is being held at the Cumberland County Jail without bail on a murder charge in the death of Edgar Cando, 31, of Portland.
Abd Elkader’s attorneys, Matthew Crocket and Andrew Edwards, waived Abd Elkader’s right to be given a Harnish bail hearing within five business days. The attorneys told Judge Peter Darvin that they had been appointed to the case about an hour earlier and needed time to familiarize themselves with the relevant details and documents.
Abd Elkader said little during the appearance, which lasted only a few minutes. It was not clear when he would next appear.
“We’ll be seeing you sometime in the near future to take further action on your case,” Darvin told Abd Elkader before he signed off the video call.
Stepping out of the courtroom, Crocket said he and Edwards needed to speak with their client and review the case before feeling ready for the Harnish hearing.
“There’s always a ton of information that comes our way,” Crocket said.
Police arrested Abd Elkader on Monday night and charged him with murder after an interview at police headquarters, Portland Police Department spokesperson Brad Nadeau said.
Abd Elkader is accused of shooting Cando near the intersection of Portland and Alder streets Monday night. Cando was taken to Maine Medical Center that evening, where he died from multiple gunshots.
Police have not offered details about the circumstances of the shooting, including a possible motive. The affidavit in Abd Elkader’s case was not available Wednesday afternoon.
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