A Maine jury has convicted two men on charges they killed three people over a drug dispute before burning their bodies in a car.
Randall Daluz of Brockton, Massachusetts, and Nicholas Sexton of Warwick, Rhode Island, were charged with three counts of murder and one count of starting a fire. The Bangor jury on Wednesday convicted Daluz of all charges. It also convicted Sexton of one murder count and arson, but was deadlocked on the two other murder charges.
The bodies were discovered burned beyond recognition in a car in a Bangor parking lot in 2012. The victims were 24-year-old Nicolle Lugdon of Eddington, 26-year-old Daniel Borders of Hermon, and 28-year-old Lucas Tuscano of Bradford.
During the trial, Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese said that all the key parties in the case were members of Bangor’s drug underworld, and that the case is “about the sale and use of drugs,” loyalty and money.
Marchese said the fire set by the men destroyed key physical evidence and the killings eliminated witnesses. But she added there was still plenty of evidence to show the defendants worked together.
The jury convicted Sexton of killing Lugdon but could not reach a verdict on Borders and Tuscano.
Sexton sat with his head in his hands as the verdicts were read. Judge William Anderson warned Daluz to be quiet after a brief outburst.
Hunter Tzovarras, Daluz’s attorney, said during trial that evidence pointed toward a conflict between Sexton and Borders, and there was no proof Daluz was in the car when the victims were killed. Sexton and his lawyer, Jeffrey Toothaker, blamed Daluz for killing all three victims.
Sexton took the stand, telling jurors that Daluz killed the victims.
Daluz chose not to testify, telling the judge while the jurors were not in the courtroom Tuesday that he didn’t want to appear “desperate.”
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