ALFRED, Maine (AP) - A judge on Monday imposed a 38-year prison sentence on a Limington man convicted of the machete killing of his neighbor.
Bruce Akers nearly decapitated the victim following an argument about allegations of stolen alcohol, law enforcement officials said.
Douglas Flint, 55, was reported missing in June 2016 before police searched Akers’ property. Investigators found his body hidden under a pile of rotting deer carcasses and debris.
The two reportedly were engaged in a dispute over property boundaries and Akers had suspected Flint of stealing a six-pack of alcoholic beverages, law enforcement officials said.
The defense contended Akers’ mental health played a role. A psychiatrist who testified during the trial said Akers suffers from mental illness and experiences paranoia and delusions.
Akers was found incompetent to stand trial in July 2018 before he was treated at Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta. He was later determined to be competent to stand trial.
The penalty for murder in Maine is 25 year to life in prison. The sentence was imposed Monday in York County Superior Court.
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