MACHIAS, Maine — Jurors in the Matthew Davis trial will continue deliberating Thursday after announcing Wednesday afternoon that they are deadlocked on two murder counts but had found the defendant guilty on all other charges after deliberating more than 10 hours over two days.
Davis is accused of shooting Michael Kitchen, 51, and Heidi Pratt, 49, to death in the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 2013, in the Oakfield home they shared, setting their house ablaze and fleeing in a stolen pickup truck. Davis also is accused of stealing other vehicles, setting other fires and damaging property.
Jurors found Davis guilty of four counts of arson connected to fires set: at the home Pratt and Kitchen shared; to Kitchen’s truck; at Katahdin Forest Products office in Oakfield before the slayings; and to the truck he drove from Katahdin Forest Product to the death scene. They at first said they could not reach verdicts on the arson charges related to the fire at the house and Kitchen’s truck but before going home for the night announced they had been confused by the numbering on the verdict form and had found Davis guilty of those charges.
In addition, the jury found Davis guilty of stealing Kitchen’s truck, a vehicle from Katahdin Forest Products and of stealing a kayak and paddles from a camp in Island Falls, and of aggravated criminal mischief at Katahdin Forest Products.
If jurors find Davis guilty of murder, they would have to determine if each victim was killed with the weapons the prosecution claimed were used in the slayings. That means there were 12 questions on the jury form related to 10 counts.
Attorneys on both sides declined Wednesday to comment on the deadlock and the guilty verdicts because jury deliberations have not concluded.
If jurors are unable to reach a verdict after continued deliberations, Superior Court Justice E. Allen Hunter most likely would declare a mistrial on those two counts. The state would have to decide if they want to try Davis again on those two charges.
Jurors on Wednesday also had the testimony of Shannon and William Lloyd — who lived next door to Kitchen and Pratt, who was Shannon Lloyd’s aunt — read back to them. The couple was awakened by the sound of gunshots on Sept. 23, 2013, and saw the house was on fire, both testified the first week of the trial.
William Lloyd testified that the day after Davis’ arrest, he recognized him as the man who drove from the fire scene in Kitchen’s truck. Shannon Lloyd said she did not recognize the driver.
Wednesday marked the 13th day of proceedings in the trial. Opening statements were made late in the day on Dec. 6 after 3½ days of jury selection that began Dec. 1. The trial convened just three days last week because of a winter storm Dec. 12 and a scheduling conflict Friday.
Davis was not allowed Wednesday to remain in the courtroom with his attorneys, family and corrections officer while jurors deliberated as he was Tuesday. He was returned to the jail and brought back to the courtroom for read backs and the verdict after jail officials became aware Davis had been allowed to remain at the courthouse Tuesday.
The judge moved the case to Washington County in September after a jury could not be seated in Aroostook County.
Davis did not take the stand in his own defense.
He faces up to 30 years in prison on the arson charges, the most serious of which he has been convicted. If he is convicted on the murder charges, Davis would face between 25 years and life in prison.