PORTLAND, Maine — A 72-year-old man who was sentenced in 2014 to 10 years in prison for trying to kill his wife by pushing her off Maiden Cliff in Camden has lost an appeal of his conviction before the state’s highest court.
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court issued its ruling Thursday, upholding the conviction of Charles Black on charges of attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault and assault.
The case gained national headlines as the retired teacher was found guilty in July 2014 of pushing his wife off the cliff in an attempt to get a $4 million inheritance that she had received. Testimony during the trial also showed that Black was having an affair with a woman he had dated in high school.
Black contended that the trial court judge had erred by declining to change the trial venue out of Knox County given the amount and type of pretrial publicity surrounding the case. The defense also challenged whether there had been sufficient evidence presented to support the conviction.
The supreme court justices concluded there was no dispute that the trial court was able to impanel an impartial jury.
“Black contends, however, that there was pretrial publicity to such an extent that prejudice nevertheless must be presumed. In summary, Black encourages us to conclude that there was presumed prejudice although he concedes there was no actual prejudice and a jury was impaneled to his satisfaction. We decline to do so,” the justices ruled.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Fernald, who argued the case before the supreme court, could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Defense attorney Steven Peterson had no comment on the ruling, pointing out that the court felt the trial judge had done a good job of screening jurors.
During the trial, District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau argued that Black was self-absorbed and self-indulgent. He pointed out how Black struck his now ex-wife Lisa Zahn in the back of the head three times with a rock, then dragged her to the edge of the 800-foot Maiden Cliff and pushed her off on April 7, 2011.
After Black pushed his wife off the cliff, she landed on a small ledge 10 feet below the top of the cliff. She then managed to slide, fall, climb down and hike to Route 52, where she flagged down a passing motorist. Black fell from the same cliff and was severely injured.
Wardens found him about 2½ hours later. Both were hospitalized for eight days, and Black was arrested upon his release from the hospital.