Maine State Police on Saturday responded to 471 River Road in Norridgewock, pictured Monday, where authorities say they found the body of 39-year-old Christopher Nickerson. Daniel Markey, 59, who owns the property, has been charged with murder. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

NORRIDGEWOCK — A local man was arrested Saturday and charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend’s 39-year-old son at a home on River Road in Norridgewock, according to police and court filings.

Daniel V. Markey, 59, is charged with murder in the death of Christopher Nickerson, the Maine State Police said in a statement issued Monday. The incident was the second alleged homicide in Norridgewock in the last month.

Markey is alleged to have killed Nickerson using a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, according to a criminal complaint filed in court by Maine State Police Detective Cpl. James Moore.

Markey made a brief court appearance via video conference Monday at Skowhegan District Court from the Somerset County Jail in Madison, where he was being held. He spoke only briefly to answer basic questions about whether he understood what was happening.

District Court Judge Andrew Benson ordered Markey to be held without bail during the proceeding, which only lasted a few minutes. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Marchese, chief of the criminal division, said in court that a request for a bail hearing would be considered with Markey’s lawyers on a day-to-day basis.

Benson also appointed attorneys Stephen Smith and Connor Herrold to represent Markey. Reached via email after the initial court appearance, Smith said he had no comment on behalf of his client.

The case was assigned to Superior Court Justice Daniel Mitchell for further proceedings.

State police were hush about the case throughout the weekend, only saying the agency was investigating a death and referring inquires to the Office of the Maine Attorney General before releasing a statement about Markey’s arrest Monday. An attorney general’s office spokesperson did not return inquiries made via email.

On Saturday, detectives were seen investigating at 471 River Road, which police said, and town tax records indicate, is Markey’s home.

State police said in Monday’s statement that around 9:25 a.m. Saturday the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit – Central responded to a residence on River Road in Norridgewock at the request of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office had responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting at the home.

Police found a dead man, later identified as Nickerson. His body was transported was the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta for an autopsy, state police said.

In an affidavit filed in court Monday, Moore, the detective, wrote that Nickerson is the son of Markey’s girlfriend, Kathleen Nickerson.

Kathleen Nickerson told detectives that on Saturday morning Markey was making “derogatory comments” toward her, and Christopher Nickerson confronted Markey, according to the affidavit.

Kathleen Nickerson said she saw Christopher Nickerson shove Markey before going outside to “cool off,” the affidavit continues. Markey then followed Christopher Nickerson outside, and it sounded like a verbal and physical scuffle ensued, Kathleen Nickerson told detectives.

Daniel V. Markey, pictured at bottom left of the screen, makes an initial court appearance Monday at Skowhegan District Court. Markey, who is being held at Somerset County Jail, is charged with killing Christopher Nickerson on Saturday in Norridgewock. At top left are Markey’s court-appointed lawyers, Steve Smith and Connor Herrold. At top right is Deputy Attorney General Lisa Marchese. District Court Judge Andrew Benson ordered Markey held without bail. Jake Freudberg/Morning Sentinel

She said Christopher Nickerson came back inside to gather his belongings and leave with a cousin who he called to pick him up, according to the affidavit.  She said Markey was outside, shirtless and with blood on his body.

Markey then went inside a marijuana grow house on the property, where Kathleen Nickerson believed he was cleaning himself up, according to the affidavit.

Kathleen Nickerson told detectives that Markey then appeared in the entrance of the home, Christopher Nickerson put his hands up and she heard four or five gunshots. Christopher Nickerson fell to the ground, and his mother called 911.

Investigators believe Markey then drove a pickup truck to the Skowhegan municipal building at 225 Water St., where the town’s police department used to be located. Markey turned himself in to Somerset County sheriff’s Deputy Jack LePage.

Markey told LePage that Christopher Nickerson “attacked him and was pounding on him, so he shot him,” according to the affidavit.

In an interview at the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, Markey told state police detectives a slightly different version of events than Kathleen Nickerson.

He told investigators that Christopher Nickerson entered the kitchen area and “began ‘raging,’” eventually punching Markey twice. The altercation moved outside, and Nickerson continued hitting him and ripped off Markey’s shirt, Markey told detectives.

Markey said he went to his truck and could not find his keys. He then went to the marijuana grow house and got his revolver.

Markey told detectives he wanted to retrieve his belongings from inside before leaving. He said he was not angry with Nickerson, but was embarrassed, according to the affidavit.

“When asked if he was thinking clearly, (Markey) said he did not know,” Moore wrote in the affidavit. “(Markey) stated he grabbed the gun so that (Nickerson) would not ‘finish him off’ and later said he was in fear for his life.”

Markey told detectives that he entered the residence and saw Nickerson “charging at him” with his right hand in a fist, but with no weapons. Markey said he then fired the gun twice, before leaving and driving to the old Skowhegan police station on Water Street.

Police later seized the revolver from Markey’s truck while executing a search warrant approved by a judge, according to the affidavit.

The cousin who Nickerson called for a ride, identified as Chevonne Scott, told a detective that Nickerson recently moved to Maine from Arizona and had been living with his mother and Markey, according to the affidavit.

Scott told detectives that Markey “can be mean” to Kathleen Nickerson, and Markey and Christopher Nickerson had argued in the past about that, according to the affidavit.

Scott further said that Markey “has made statements about shooting (Christopher Nickerson) in the past but explained that (Markey’s demeanor) overall is very calm and dry so it is hard to tell if he is joking or if he isn’t.”

The two were not known to use alcohol, or drugs other than cannabis, Scott told detectives.