PORTLAND, Maine — After coming to a sudden halt Tuesday morning after the judge sent jurors home for the day, the murder trial of a Windham man accused of murdering his wife will not continue on Wednesday as expected.
Marc Malon, spokesman for the Maine attorney general’s office, said in an email that the trial of Noah Gaston would not continue Wednesday when, following Tuesday night’s snowstorm, the courthouse opens at noon.
Instead, he said Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy would determine later on Wednesday what time the trial would resume Thursday.
A clerk at Cumberland County Superior Court said as the court closed Wednesday that Murphy had not announced plans for Thursday.
Gaston, 36, faces charges of intentional or knowing murder and manslaughter in the Jan. 14, 2016, shooting death of his wife, 34-year-old Alicia Gaston, at their home on Brookhaven Drive in Windham.
Gaston shot his wife with a 12-gauge shotgun as she ascended the stairs to the second floor in the early morning, according to court documents.
He told police that from the top of the stairs he thought his wife was an intruder, but prosecutors say evidence contradicts his story and that his story contains inconsistencies.
Gaston pleaded not guilty and has been held without bail at Cumberland County Jail in Portland. He is represented by Auburn attorney Robert Andrews.
Opening arguments took place Monday in Portland Superior Court. On Tuesday, attorneys met with Murphy in chambers for several hours before the judge dismissed jurors for the day.
Murphy told the court an unforeseen issue arose that was not the fault of anyone but that attorneys needed the day to resolve the issue, the Portland Press Herald reported.