ALFRED — A bail hearing in York County Superior Court for Rory Holland of Biddeford, charged with the shooting deaths of Biddeford brothers 19-year-old Gage and 21-year-old Derek Greene, was postponed on Wednesday.
Holland, 55, is charged with two counts of murder for shooting Gage Greene and Derek Greene near his 58 South St. home in the early morning hours of June 30.
Maine Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese, who is prosecuting the case, said she agreed to postponing the hearing because “the defense agreed to have him (Holland) kept in jail without bail.”
The defendant has been held without bail in York County Jail in Alfred since his arrest on June 30.
Wednesday’s court proceeding was delayed several hours because Holland’s attorney, Clifford Strike, had to purchase clothing for Holland to wear to the hearing, according Marchese.
Holland appeared in a white dress shirt and black pants.
Strike had filed a motion allowing Holland to wear his own clothing to court rather than appear in the standard York County Jail-issued orange jumpsuit.
The suit which Holland wore at his first court appearance on July 1 was seized as evidence because it was the same suit he wore when he left his home after the shooting.
A bail hearing may not be necessary, said Marchese, if both sides come to an agreement. After Holland’s first court appearance, Marchese had said she was determined to ensure that the defendant stay in jail for the duration of the trail.
She requested that if a bail hearing take place that it occur prior to Sept. 1.
Superior Justice Roland A. Cole named Strike, who has been handling the case, as Holland’s court-appointed attorney.
When Cole asked if Holland was amenable to having Strike as his attorney, the defendant replied “Well I don’t see F. Lee Bailey in the courtroom.”
Cole also determined Holland to be partially indigent.
Although Holland does own some property, he said because of the condition of the buildings and the current depressed real estate market it was unlikely he could readily sell these assets.
Holland owns his residence at 58 South St. In addition, according to the information filed with the York County Register of Deeds it appears that Holland also owns property in Sinclair. According to the register of deeds, it appears that other property he formerly owned in Biddeford is no longer in his name.
The judge said the state will pay the attorney fees, but liens will be placed on Holland’s property so proceeds of the sales of those properties can be used to repay the state for legal fees.
The possibility of change of venue for the murder trial has been discussed but not decided said both attorney’s.
The argument for holding the trial outside of York County is to have a jury pool that hasn’t been exposed to as much media regarding the case as the local residents, said Strike.
Strike said it’s likely he will file for a change of venue because the case has already received a lot of media attention and “it’s going to attract (more) public interest.
“This case has received a lot of publicity,” noted Marchese, “but so have a lot of cases.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.