BANGOR, Maine — A Superior Court judge on Monday found an Ellsworth man accused of killing his wife on Christmas Day 2013 guilty of depraved indifference murder.
Christopher Saenz, 32, who was tried for murder in May before Justice Ann Murray, was accused of beating Hilary Saenz, 29, to death in their Central Street apartment while their two children, then 12 and 8 years old, were in the home.
“Depraved indifference murder is reserved for those circumstances where even though a defendant did not act intentionally or knowingly, his conduct, objectively viewed, created such a high tendency to cause death that the law attributes to him the highest level of blameworthiness,” the judge wrote in her 29-page ruling, citing a 1980 Maine Supreme Judicial Court decision.
Christopher Saenz did not react when the verdict was read.
On Monday, he was dressed in orange jail clothes, not the white polo shirt and khaki slacks he wore during the trial. He also had a moustache and goatee Monday that he did not have in May.
Family and friends of the victim declined to speak to reporters after the judge announced the verdict.
A sentencing date has not been set.
In announcing her decision Monday, Murray rejected the defense’s argument that Hilary Saenz suffered from an undiagnosed seizure disorder. Murray accepted the theory of the crime put forward by the prosecution.
The judge found that the cerebral hemorrhage that caused Saenz’s death was a result of the blows inflicted by her husband in the 36 hours before her death at about 3:33 p.m. Dec. 25, 2013.
“Hilary Saenz’s death occurred in the context of a multi-day argument during which Hilary Saenz sustained multiple traumas at the hand of the defendant,” the judge wrote in her decision that detailed the victim’s injuries, including 50 bruises. “Hilary Saenz was bruised — literally — from head to toe by the defendant.
“Additionally, Christopher Saenz waited no less than 31 minutes before he called 911 for medical assistance for Hilary,” Murray wrote. “Certainly she needed medical assistance by 2:13 p.m. [when Christopher Saenz did an Internet search for “What to do when someone gets knocked out”] and the 911 call was not made until 2:44 p.m. The reason the defendant did not call for medical assistance earlier was he did not want anyone to see the bruises on her body that he had caused.”
Defense attorneys Jeffrey Toothaker and Robert Van Horn, both of Ellsworth, declined to speak with reporters after the verdict, citing scheduling issues.
Assistant Attorney General Deb Cashman, who prosecuted the case, said she was pleased with the outcome. The prosecutor declined to discuss what her sentencing recommendation would be but said she expected Saenz to be sentenced next month.
Saenz has been held without bail at the Hancock County Jail since his arrest on Dec. 27, 2013. He will continue to be held there until sentencing.
He faces between 25 years and life 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.