WISCASSET, Maine — Jury selection is scheduled for February for a man charged with murdering his ex-wife in Waldoboro.

A Lincoln County grand jury indicted James Clark, 50, of Damariscotta in September 2025 for the killing of Levern Kelley, 53, of Waldoboro, his ex-wife. Clark was indicted for murder and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The firearm indictment notes he had a prior domestic violence assault conviction in Knox County in 2013.

Clark was arrested Aug. 15, 2025, and has been held without bail since then.

Defense attorney Andrew Wright had requested and the court approved a forensic evaluation of Clark. The evaluation was to help determine criminal responsibility and abnormal condition of mind. The report was to be sealed.

Jury selection is scheduled for Feb. 2 and 3 with opening statements and testimony to begin Feb. 4. The trial is anticipated to last through Feb. 12.

A pre-trial status conference will be held in December.

A coworker of Kelley at Pen Bay Laboratories went to Kelley’s home on Genthner Road on the morning of Aug. 9 when Kelley failed to show up for work. The coworker noticed the door to the home was open and found Kelley dead on the porch.

She called the police. Waldoboro police responded first and found spent shell casings.

Other witnesses said Kelley had told them of abuse at Clark’s hands, including one time when he put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her. Kelley also became more withdrawn and evasive in the weeks leading up to her death. Friends also said they noticed bruises on her.

The last time anyone had spoken to her was the night of Aug. 7, and during that telephone call, Kelley said she and Clark had been arguing about finances. She told the caller she had to get off the phone because she saw Clark arriving at her house.

Another witness said that Clark had left a residence in Damariscotta on the evening of Aug. 7 and had made a comment about threatening his former wife.

Another ex-wife of Clark noted they had an abusive relationship, according to the affidavit. That woman said she also feared for her life.

The Maine State Police got a search warrant for the residence where Clark stayed in Damariscotta. Ammunition that matched the type of rounds that were found at Kelley’s porch were found at Clark’s home. A blood stain that was not believed to be from Kelley was tested and matched Clark’s DNA that was in the police computer system.

The Maine medical examiner’s office found that 12 small-caliber bullets removed from Kelley’s body were the same type of ammunition as the bullets found at Clark’s home.

This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.