BANGOR, Maine — The girlfriend of the man who died of multiple gunshot wounds in her Center Street apartment broke down repeatedly on the stand Friday as she described his last moments.
Karen Patchell, who now lives in eastern Pennsylvania, said Robert “Ricco” Mark Kennedy was breathing when she called 911, but died by the time an ambulance arrived a few minutes later.
Patchell, 46, admitted that she lied to Bangor police during questioning about being able to identify the intruders the month following the Nov. 27, 2015, shooting because she was scared.
“I was afraid, so I didn’t tell the truth,” she said. “I was afraid these guys we’re going to hunt me down. I didn’t want them to kill me, too.”
Thomas “Ferg” Ferguson and Robert “Rocco” Hansley are charged with murder and elevated aggravated assault in the shooting that killed Kennedy, 38, of Bangor and wounded Barry Jenkins, 42, who was visiting from Brooklyn, New York. The two men are being tried separately.
Friday was the third day of testimony in Ferguson’s jury-waived trial before Superior Court Justice William Anderson at the Penobscot Judicial Center. Hansley’s trial has not been scheduled.
Even after Ferguson and Hansley were arrested less than 24 hours after the shooting, she continued to fear for her life, she said Friday.
Under cross-examination, Patchell admitted that she had not been threatened by anyone since the shooting.
Patchell said she came out of her bedroom about 3:30 a.m. when she heard feet “stomping” up the stairs to her second-floor apartment. She came out of her bedroom and recognized Ferguson by his walk but did not see Hansley, she testified. Patchell also did not see either man hold a gun.
“I heard popping sounds and ran into the bathroom and locked the door,” she said. “I stayed in there shaking and praying. I didn’t come out until I heard Barry say he was hurt and needed an ambulance.”
Jenkins was found by police on the front steps of 201 Center St. with multiple gunshot wounds, according to a police affidavit.
He previously testified that both Ferguson and Hansley pointed guns at him — but he did not know who fired the shots that wounded him.
Dr. Kristen Sweeney of the state medical examiner’s office said Friday that Kennedy was shot multiple times. One bullet tore his aorta and massive internal bleeding caused his death, she testified.
After two days of testimony, a motive for the shooting remained unclear.
Jenkins said that after an incident on Labor Day weekend when Kennedy was arrested, Hansley began referring to him “as a rat.”
If convicted, each man faces 25 years to life in prison on the murder charges and up to 30 years in prison if convicted of elevated aggravated assault.
Ferguson also is charged with tampering with a victim, which carries a possible sentence of 10 years in prison.
His trial is scheduled to resume Wednesday. It could end as early as Friday, June 2.
The judge has not said when he will announce his verdict.