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Maine jury hears opening statements in Amherst slaying

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May 5, 2008

ELLSWORTH, Maine—A state prosecutor told a Hancock County jury that last summer's gunshot slaying of a 27-year-old Ellsworth man was a "literal execution" brought on by drugs and money.

Thirty-five-year-old John Turner of Bangor went on trial for murder Monday in the death of Tad Howard, whose body was found on a dirt subdivision road off Route 9 in Amherst.

In his opening statement, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Benson said Howard was a drug dealer and "Turner was a client who had built a significant drug debt."

Defense lawyer Jeffrey Toothaker pointed to an alternate suspect, saying a third person was with Turner and Howard the night of the killing and might have been responsible for Howard's death.

The trial is expected to continue for several days.

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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangornews.com

© Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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