Clinton charged with murder in Waterville shooting denied bail

AUGUSTA – Clinton, who allegedly shot and killed a Fairfield man in Waterville last month, was denied bail on Monday.

Richard Hatt, 53is accused of the murder of Stephen Killam Oct. 15 in the parking lot of Mount Joseph in Waterville, a rehabilitation and nursing facility at 7 Highwood St. in Waterville, prosecutors said.

Authorities said Hatt falsely believed Killam was having an affair with his longtime girlfriend.

During a bail hearing at the Capital Judicial Center, Judge Michaela Murphy found that there was ample probable cause showing that Hatt knowingly or intentionally killed Killam and that Hatt would pose a significant risk to public safety if released on bail.

Hatt allegedly approached a car driven by Killam in the Mount Joseph parking lot in Waterville, where Killam and his girlfriend worked. Killam’s girlfriend was in the passenger seat. Hatt allegedly fired several shots into the windshield and then continued shooting at Killam as he approached the driver’s side of the vehicle. Ackerman said 14 bullets were found in Killam’s body.

Earlier on the morning of the shooting, Hatt allegedly forced his way into a home on Winter Street in Waterville and attacked a man he apparently mistook for Killam. Deputy Attorney General Jen Ackerman said Hatt left after learning he had hired the wrong person. He then decided that since he was likely going to jail for the assault, he would find Killam and kill him.

Hatt admitted to police that he shot Killam with a 9 mm handgun, according to an affidavit filed by State Police Detective Nicholas Watson. He also admitted that he “knew Stephen was dead and then fired more shots out of anger and hatred.” He told police he fired multiple times until the gun’s slide jammed. He said he was targeting the “central mass” and after killing Killam he considered suicide because he didn’t want to go to prison. Hatt apologized “for what others had gone through, but they felt Stephen deserved to be shot,” Watson’s statement said.

Testimony shows Hatt had delusions that Killam, 47, of Fairfield, was having an affair with a woman Hatt considered his friend.Thomas Carey, one of two attorneys appointed to represent Hatt, said that belief is not true or based in reality.

Carey argued that Hatt suffers from mental problems as well as serious health problems that will not be effectively treated while he is in the county jail. Carey said Hatt would not pose a danger to the public because his delusions centered solely on the belief that Killam was having an affair with his girlfriend. Carey said the fact that Hatt mistook a random stranger for Killam, entered his home and attacked him with a gun was further evidence that Hatt was suffering from mental problems that day.

“It is very clear that there was something significant going on with the defendant and with his ability to perceive reality at that time,” Carey said. “He operated in a completely different reality.”

Ackerman responded that killing the person he was focused on did not mean Hatt was still not a danger to other members of society, including Killam’s girlfriend. She said Hatt should remain in custody without bail because he is a flight risk, a threat to public safety and, due to his past violent crimes, is likely to commit further crimes.

Killam’s girlfriend she told police that she and Killam drove to work together around 6 a.m. on October 15. As they parked in front of Mount Joseph in Waterville, Hatt walked up and fired a gun into the car, hitting Killam. She screamed, raised her arms, and miraculously, no bullets hit her. She said that after the shooting, Hatt fled in his truck, which she recognized from previous interactions.

Police said Killam and his girlfriend were issued a temporary protective order against Hatt. His girlfriend said the dispute with Hatt has been ongoing since 2018.

Hatt has not yet entered a plea or face charges. He he appeared in court for the first time on October 16.

Waterville Police officers responded to the scene on October 15 after receiving reports of multiple shots fired.

Witnesses reported seeing a black Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck driving away. They gave the police their license plate numbers. Police were notified to search for the truck that morning, and just before 9 a.m., Chief Rusty Bell of the Clinton Police Department located the truck and Hatt in Clinton.

Bell, who said he had known Hatt for years, thought the man might be going to his sister’s residence on Battle Ridge Road in Clinton.

That’s where Bell found Hatt, standing with his sister and her husband on her lawn. Hatt surrendered to Bell, who placed him in custody. According to Watson’s statement, a 9 mm handgun was found on Hatt. More firearms were found in the truck. Hatt also gave a gun to his brother-in-law, but said it was not the gun used in the shooting. He said he threw the gun away.

Hatt’s record in Maine includes numerous convictions dating back to 1990, including several felony burglary and theft charges, several misdemeanor assault charges, a misdemeanor domestic violence assault charge, and felony tampering with a witness. criminal threats According to the state Bureau of Identification, there was a violent assault.

Several of Killam’s friends and family were present at Monday’s court hearing, although they did not speak. Jessica Killam, Stephen Killam’s sister, previously described her brother as a loving, caring man who never hurt anyone, and said the family was struggling to cope with the loss.

Mount Joseph in Waterville, located at 7 Highwood St., was formerly Mount St. Nursing Home. Joseph.

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