BANGOR, Maine — The recording made by an Ellsworth police officer that includes a family friend reporting that Christopher Saenz threatened to kill his wife two weeks before she died will be played Wednesday on the seventh day of his murder trial at the Penobscot Judicial Center.
Saenz, 32 , of Ellsworth is accused of beating his wife, Hilary Saenz, 29, to death on Christmas Day in their Central Street apartment while their two children, then 12 and 8 years old, were in the home.
He is charged with intentional or knowing murder and, in the alternative, depraved indifference murder in the death of his wife. Christopher Saenz has pleaded not guilty.
Ellsworth police first visited the Saenz home shortly after 10 p.m. Dec. 13, 2013, after they received a 911 call from Hilary Saenz, according to the Maine State Police affidavit filed Dec. 29, 2013, in the murder case.
Family friend Jessica Sinclair, who has not been called as a witness in Christopher Saenz’s jury-waived trial that began May 18, reportedly told police that Saenz had threatened to kill his wife.
He was not arrested earlier in December, according to court documents, but left the home and spent the night away from his wife.
Assistant Attorney General Lara Nomani on Tuesday told Superior Court Justice Ann Murray that the altercation between Saenz and his wife on Dec. 13, 2013, was verbal not physical.
Hillary Saenz’s co-workers at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and the Wal-Mart in Ellsworth testified last week that her husband believed she was having an affair.
In interviews with police after his wife’s death that were played last week in court, Christopher Saenz said he suspected his wife was cheating on him because there were incoming numbers on her cellphone that she couldn’t identify. Saenz admitted hitting his wife on Dec. 22, 2013, but consistently denied striking her on Christmas Day. He said that on Dec. 25, 2013, she suddenly fell forward and had a seizure.
Two members of the Maine State Police trained in the examination of cellphones and cellphone records took the stand Tuesday afternoon. Neither identified any phone numbers or a person to whom the numbers might have belonged.
William Mitchell said that on Dec. 25, 2013, before calling 911, Saenz used his phone to search for information on how to treat a person suffering a seizure and how to treat a person with a possible concussion. There also were about 10 calls between Saenz and his mother, who is expected to take the stand later this week, before and after he called 911.
The trial will resume Wednesday with the prosecution continuing to present its case. Ellsworth police who went to the Saenz home on Dec. 13, 2013, are expected to testify.
The trial, which was moved to Bangor by agreement of the parties, was originally scheduled to end Friday but could wrap up Thursday.
The judge is expected to issue a written verdict this summer.
Saenz has been held without bail at the Hancock County Jail since his arrest on Dec. 27, 2013.
If convicted of murder, Saenz faces between 25 years and life in prison. If the judge found him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter — which Murray could do if the prosecution does not prove murder — he would face up to 30 years in prison.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.