SKOWHEGAN (AP) — A witness in the trial of a Maine man charged with killing a woman more than three decades ago described the gruesome discovery of her body on a road in Anson, as testimony got under way Thursday.
James Ross, a former game warden, testified that the body of Rita St. Peter was found partially clothed in a pool of blood and injury to her face suggested she had been run over. Ross said the body was discovered by a young man leading a team of horses.
St. Peter’s family members were in the courtroom as photographs of the crime scene were projected onto a screen in Superior Court.
Jay Mercier, 57, of Industry is accused of beating the 20- year-old woman with a heavy instrument, such as a tire iron, and then running over her with a truck.
Investigators have said Mercier was a suspect in St. Peter’s murder from the start but they didn’t have the evidence to charge him.
DNA from a cigarette butt linked to Mercier matched DNA from semen recovered from St. Peter’s body, leading to Mercier’s arrest last year.
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