A Kennebec County jury has determined John A. Okie, 22, Newcastle is criminally responsible for the murders of his father and a former classmate in July 2007.
After receiving the case at noon the jury returned a verdict at 2:30 p.m. including a break for lunch.
Okie’s defense lawyers never disputed his involvement in the murders but contended he was not criminally responsible because he was suffering from an extreme case of paranoid schizophrenia.
With their ruling, the jury determined that Okie knew what he was doing when he murdered Alexandra Leigh “Aleigh” Mills, 19, on July 10, 2007 in her home in Wayne, and then killed his father John S. Okie, 59 in Newcastle on July 16.
Before the verdict was read, Judge Joseph Jabar advised the courtroom to maintain decorum, saying a public outburst would not be tolerated despite the strenuous circumstances.
“It has been a very emotional and difficult case,” Jabar said.
Reporting from the scene, LCN correspondent Kim Fletcher said the jury showed the strain of two weeks of testimony. “The jury was visibly upset and weeping,” Fletcher said. “John Okie showed absolutely no emotion.”
“First on the charge of murder of Alexandra Mills the jury found him guilty and he is criminally responsible,” Fletcher said. “On the count including John S. Okie, the jury found him guilty and criminally responsible.”
Sentencing has been set for Thurs. Jan. 29, 2009 “They are talking in consideration of a minimum of 25 years, possibly on both counts,” Fletcher said
As the trial was going forward day by day the crowd in support of the Mills family kept growing while supporters for the Okie side kept diminishing, Fletcher said.
Neither the Mills nor Okie families have made a statement to the press as of this posting.
LCN will follow with a complete report here and in the pages of our print edition.