WEST BATH, Maine — A Thomaston man charged with manslaughter after allegedly shooting to death his girlfriend while he showed a handgun to a prospective buyer will plead to a lesser charge, his attorney confirmed Thursday.
Dylan Grubbs, 24, is charged with the Nov. 16, 2015, shooting death of Chelsea Jones, whom police said was sitting in Grubbs’ SUV in a Bath supermarket parking lot when he shot her in the head with the 9 mm Taurus handgun he was showing to a potential buyer.
Police said at the time that the gun apparently discharged accidentally.
Jones, 22, of Thomaston, died Nov. 19 at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Grubbs pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter, which alleges that he was recklessly or criminally negligent in causing Jones’ death.
He was tentatively scheduled for trial in January. But on Thursday, his lawyer, David Paris, confirmed that Grubbs would plead to a lesser charge, though he declined to disclose the specific plea or other details.
A toxicology report filed with the court after the shooting showed Grubbs had buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid addiction, in his blood at the time.
In March, he was arrested in Rockland and charged with operating under the influence, three counts of possession of drugs and violating conditions of release. According to court documents, Grubbs was in possession of a few Klonopin and oxycodone pills, for which he reportedly had no prescriptions, and Suboxone — also used to treat opioid addiction — for which he had an expired prescription.
Following the arrest, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services filed paperwork in Knox County Superior Court alleging that Grubbs’ two minor children “are in jeopardy to their health and welfare and in need of protective custody due to Mr. Grubbs’ serious and currently untreated substance abuse issues … volatile behavior, and unsafe decision-making which most recently resulted in the death of his children’s mother.”
Paris in June requested the court amend his bail conditions to allow Grubbs to attend a 45-day residential treatment program for substance use, chemical dependency and other disorders, according to court documents.
Paris later declined to confirm that Grubbs was in treatment for substance use.
Grubbs is scheduled to enter his plea at 10 a.m. Monday at the West Bath courthouse.