A jury will decide if a Bangor man is guilty of killing his friend.
Gary Brinson, 71, is accused of killing Lee Ruona, 64, on Dec. 4, 2024, at Brinson’s apartment on Union Street. Brinson is charged with intentional or knowing murder in Penobscot County Superior Court.
Brinson and Ruona lived in the same apartment building and were drinking buddies, Brinson had told police. The night of the killing they had split a gallon and a half of bourbon and several cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
A jury of seven women and five men heard two days of witness testimony before closing arguments on Thursday morning.
Brinson was not intentional or knowing in his actions, his attorney Kaylee Folster said. Brinson and Ruona had split the equivalent of 128 standard size shots and multiple beers in the hours leading up to Ruona’s death.
“No one here is asking you to find Gary innocent,” Folster said.
But, Brinson’s actions were reckless, which fits the lesser crime of manslaughter, Folster said.
Ruona had more than 140 superficial puncture wounds and five deeper cuts, according to testimony. However, none of those were life-ending, Folster said.
Ruona bled out because of liver damage from alcoholism, which meant his blood did not properly clot, Folster said the medical examiner testified.
Brinson and Ruona are both military combat veterans with PTSD, Brinson told police.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office is tasked with proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Brinson was intentional or knowing in his actions.
“Knowing means that Gary Brinson was aware that he was practically certain that his conduct caused Lee Ruona’s death,” Assistant Attorney General Leanne Robbin said.
Brinson did not know about Ruona’s liver damage and did not have intention to kill his friend, Folster said.
Ruona’s alcoholism made him easier to kill, but it was not his cause of death, Robbin said.
No testimony was presented that explained how Ruona had that many puncture wounds, Folster said. She added that Brinson was too drunk to inflict that many wounds.
Brinson told police he had drank less than he normally does, Robbin said.
“How does a person inflict 145 puncture wounds without knowing?” Robbin said.
Despite the alcohol, Brinson was able to wipe blood off knife blades, fold them up and put them away, Robbin said. He was also able to take his cane and move it to the kitchen, a room where no blood was found, she said.
“Alcohol had a role in this crime alright but it did not impact Gary Brinson’s intention to beat the s—t out of his Lee [Ruona], it merely acted as the fuel for the rage,” Robbin said.