PORTLAND, Maine — Noah Gaston, the Windham man accused of shooting and killing his wife, appeared before a judge in Portland Tuesday morning.
This initial appearance lasted less than five minutes, but family members of both the defendant and victim were inside the courtroom. The only new development is a judge ordered Gaston to be held without bail.
Wearing a shirt and khakis, Gaston showed no emotion, but said he understood the murder charge against him.
According to an affidavit unsealed Monday, Gaston told investigators he thought his wife, Alicia Gaston, was an intruder at their Windham home. He then grabbed a 12-gauge shotgun and shot her on the stairs on Jan. 14.
He called 911 at 6:17 a.m. saying he shot his wife in the stomach and she wasn’t breathing.
In the affidavit, detectives say Gaston’s statements were inconsistent.
The couple’s three children were home at the time. Their 8-year-old daughter told investigators a much different story.
She told investigators she heard her mom and dad arguing in their “scared voices” followed by the sound of her mom falling down the stairs, crying and then she smelled what she described as smoke and blood.
Prosecutors say the investigation is ongoing.
The case will go to the grand jury. Gaston will be back in court in early February for a bail hearing.