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Three men have pleaded guilty and been sentenced for crimes tied to the 2017 death of a Down East fisherman.

Wayne Foss in an undated photo. Photo courtesy Maine State Police

Police say they found Wayne Foss’s body at his home in Whitneyville on Oct. 28, 2017. The home had been set on fire, but they were still able to determine the death was a homicide.

Foss was 48, and a husband and father of three, according to his obituary. Family remembered him as selfless and talented, particularly in woodworking.

Six years after Foss’s death, a grand jury indicted three men on felony murder, arson and robbery charges in connection with his killing: Justin Matthews, 35, Basilio Liranzo, 29, and Leanza Boney, 27.

Matthews was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison and risks serving another six years if he violates a four-year probation term. He and Liranzo both pleaded guilty to a felony murder charge, which is used when a death occurs during the commission of another crime.

Liranzo was previously sentenced to 16 years behind bars after also pleading guilty to arson.

Boney pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and is serving five years in prison. He risks another 11 years if he violates a four-year probation.

Maine State Police encouraged anyone with information related to this case, or any unsolved homicide or missing persons case to contact their offices. 

Emily Allen covers courts for the Portland Press Herald. It's her favorite beat so far — before moving to Maine in 2022, she reported on a wide range of topics for public radio in West Virginia and was...

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