FARMINGTON, Maine — A Franklin County grand jury indicted a Massachusetts man Thursday on a charge of murder in the fatal stabbing of Grace Burton, 81, of Farmington on June 21, 2011.
Juan Contreras, 27, of Waltham has been held without bail since his arrest in Massachusetts on Nov. 17, 2011.
According to a police affidavit, Burton was stabbed 35 times and died as a result of the wounds.
At the time of the murder, Contreras was living on Pillsbury Lane, off Fairbanks Road, less than a quarter-mile from the Margaret Chase Smith Apartments on Fairbanks Road where Burton lived, according to police.
He is accused of cutting a screen and entering a window to Burton’s residence.
Police were able to match Contreras’ DNA in blood found at the scene after five months of investigation. He voluntarily gave a DNA sample to Maine State Police on Nov. 16 in Massachusetts.
If Contreras is convicted of the charge, he faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison.
According to Trooper Abbe Chabot’s affidavit, police discovered an open window at the back of Burton’s home and the cut screen.
The affidavit states that a witness reported seeing a man of medium stature walking behind an adjacent facility shortly after the stabbing. The tracking dog of Franklin County Sheriff’s Cpl. Nate Bean followed the scent from Burton’s apartment to Sunny Hill Apartment Complex within minutes of Burton’s 911 call.
At a Nov. 3 meeting with State Police Detective Randall Keaten, Farmington police Sgt. Michael Adcock presented Keaten with an incident report dated July 23. In this report, a person by the name of Juan Contreras had crashed his bicycle near the intersection of Oakes Street and the Wilton Road in Farmington.
At the time, Contreras reported an address of 114 Pillsbury Lane in Farmington. In speaking with Contreras, Adcock learned that Contreras was staying at the Pillsbury address but was moving back to Massachusetts in a couple of days. No DNA sample was requested from Contreras at that time and his profile wasn’t in the system.
After more investigation Keaten found two incident reports where Contreras was a witness to different assaults. In each, Contreras was accompanied by his girlfriend, Amanda Pressey. A detective interviewed Amanda Contreras on June 21 and she told him she was baby-sitting at Sunny Hill Apartment Complex.
Keaten knew that Amanda Contreras was Amanda Pressey, the affidavit states. Keaten visited Pillsbury Lane and was told the couple had been evicted a couple of months earlier.
Keaten interviewed Amanda Contreras on Nov. 9. She told police that when she arrived home from baby-sitting in the early morning hours of June 21, her husband was very intoxicated and had a cut on the heel of his right hand. She confronted him about his injury and was told he injured it while whittling on a tree.
Amanda Contreras also told Keaten she had left Juan Contreras in July because he would spend his time playing video games and drinking heavily. She told police her husband was aware that she was baby-sitting at Sunny Hill Apartments the night Burton was killed.
In another interview with Amanda Contreras on Nov. 10, Keaten learned that when police came asking for DNA samples, Juan Contreras ran to the back bedroom and stayed there. Amanda Contreras also told police that Juan had moved back to Massachusetts about three or four weeks after Burton died.
When police interviewed Juan Contreras on Wednesday, Nov. 16, he denied being in Farmington or at Grace Burton’s apartment. He also denied knowing her but gave police a DNA sample. It matched the DNA sample from the windowsill at Burton’s apartment.
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He stabbed her 35 times and she died later. He left his DNA at the murder scene. To bad Maine doesn’t have a death penalty. This guy doesn’t deserve the air he is breathing! She died a horrible death and so should he!
maine has low crime
…now please BDN remove this story so no one figures out the truth about crime
He’s truly a man of the earth…..DIRT!
It is time we reinstated the death penalty in the state of Maine and put scum like this where they belong, in the ground! All you bleeding hearts that don’t believe in the death penalty should feel the pain the family of Grace Burton has felt for the past several months! To stab someone 35 times is the act of a mad man and because his DNA was found at the seen, he should be put down with as little waist of the tax payers money as possible. If you are too timid to do it ask for volunteers, you should get plenty! I do not believe 25 years to life is Justice!
Putting someone to death is the easy way out for that person. When people die, they are at peace forever. Let him rot in the prison system. I would like to see less amenities in prison. I don’t think they should have much beyond food and water to keep them alive. They should be locked up, not go outside, no schooling, no rights to appeal, no working out in a gym, no TV, cards, games. Make it prison. Make it uncomfortable. It’s very hard for humans to treat humans badly. It’s not the norm in society so these folks get treated well. We are suppose to be civilized. I just don’t like the fact that these folks ever even get a chance to be free later on in lilfe. For life needs to mean for life, not 8 years!!!!!
Why should the tax payers support him, give him free dental and health care etc.? Contact your congress man and ask him what it will cost the tax payers every year to support him. You will be astonished at the amount!!!
True, but until the laws are changed,it cost more to put someone to death than keep them alive. I say if convicted by DNA evidence take them from court to where ever they are going to be put to death.
I hear how are prisons are over crowded and they keep letting criminals out! My solution is to do away with all the exercise equipment, basketball courts, move theaters and libraries. Lets actually turn them into prisons again and not resorts! Some criminals can not be rehabilitated and should be taken out of the equation.
I agree! But we still have those goody two shoes in this state and country who believe we should treat them this way and not the way they should be treated.
The reason it is so much is because of what the “Bleeding Hearts” believe should be provided to them based on humanity. I agree with the previous poster. Give them just enough to survive. Nothing that tastes good, water, and a small cell on a hard bed. Let them think every day of the actions they did. I am not opposed to the Death Penalty, because i dont believe that the “Bleeding Hearts” will ever treat criminals and murderers the way they should be treated.
This type of treatment of prisoners will never happen because “It’s cruel and unusual punishment”. What about the cruel and unusual punishment of the victims? Watch Locked-Up Abroad on the Discovery Channel. This is how our prisons should be run.To all you bleeding hearts out there,You have forgotten the most important thing,the VICTIMS!
if you believe in heaven than you must beleive in hell, there, there is no peace forever…
Why? Why did he pick her?Im curious how he knew her and how he chose her as a victim..I dont believe that 25 years is justice either. Absurd.There are men w/life penalties sitting in prison w/way less evidence against them,and the state wont pursue the dna testing.This man IS the guy,and he gets 25 years? Curiouser and curiouser.
All of these thugs have a blank stare like there is no one in there and like they have no conscience.
Hang the SOB!
The death penalty may stop a sane person, not an insane one. Bring it back is a good idea and I agree the financial cost is too great too keep them alive for years. Spend money on more judges, have quick trials and we would save a ton of money. If this guy is convicked, he’ll have 3 hots and a cot for the rest of his life. We’ll probably give him a college degree and time off for GOOD behavior!……..What a system…………..
So,how do we bring the death penalty back?is there a specific procedure that we had even a prayer of beginning?
why do the police put a bullet proof vest on this POS?