The sentencing of a Portland man who pleaded guilty to the strangulation death of his girlfriend was delayed Monday because of the state court system’s response to the new coronavirus.
Gregory Vance, 62, was supposed to be sentenced for murder under an agreement that caps his sentence at 35 years. His attorney will press for 25 years at the hearing.
The hearing was delayed indefinitely after most routine court proceedings were ordered postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Vance told police that the victim, 59-year-old Patricia Grassi, was “tormenting” and “slapping” him, according to court documents.
He’s been held without bail since his arrest on March 17, 2019, the day Grassi’s body was found. Defense attorney Tina Heather Nadeau said that Vance has always been remorseful and that it’s “a tragic case for everyone involved.”
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less