PORTLAND — A Maine man who was accused this week of killing another man more than eight years ago made his first appearance in Cumberland County Superior Court on Friday.
Stephen Versluis Jr., 42, is charged with one count of murder in the death of Sunao “Tom” Yamada, who was found dead in downtown Portland in September 2017. Police announced his arrest Thursday.
Versluis stood still throughout Friday afternoon’s hearing while his attorney, Matthew Crockett, half-shielded him from news cameras.
“Based on my review of what they’ve given me so far and my conversations with my client, I believe, like he does, that they have the wrong guy,” Crockett told reporters after the hearing.
Versluis’ bail was set at $500,000 on the condition that he does not possess any weapons and complies with random searches. He did not enter a plea. His next court appearance is tentatively scheduled for July 31.
As Versluis was escorted through a side door at the end of the hearing, his girlfriend called out, “Stephen!” He didn’t acknowledge her.
Versluis’ girlfriend, Cat Work, said after the hearing that she doesn’t think Versluis knew Yamada, because he had never spoken about him, and that she doesn’t believe that he was at the scene of the crime.
“I seriously hope that they catch the person who did it,” she said.
Portland police arrested Versluis at the Maine State Prison before he was transported to the Cumberland County Jail on Wednesday morning.
Court records indicate Versluis was serving time in prison for a probation violation in 2024. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and unlawful sexual contact in connection with an incident in 2019.
Police have released few details about Yamada’s killing. Authorities announced Versluis’ arrest at a news conference Thursday but declined to answer questions about the investigation and Yamada’s cause of death.
Friends remembered Yamada as a kind man and sports enthusiast, according to an obituary published in the Press Herald in 2018. Police said during Thursday’s news conference that he was a cherished member of the community who also struggled with homelessness.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less