Jury finds Charles Black guilty of trying to kill wife on Camden’s Maiden Cliff
By Stephen Betts, Bangor Daily News, Maine | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The 11-woman, one-man
No date for sentencing has been scheduled.
The victim was in the courtroom, surrounded her two daughters and friends, when the verdict was read. She began sobbing and hugged lead Detective
Rushlau said he will be seeking a prison term of multiple years which, at Black's age, could amount to a life sentence. Rushlau said that is entirely appropriate in this case, though he was not ready to say specifically how many years he would seek.
"It's an absolute miracle that she's alive," the prosecutor said.
He praised the work of his prosecutorial team, which included Assistant District Attorney
Defense attorney
"I am disappointed in the verdict. I believe there was significant reasonable doubt but unfortunately the jury found otherwise," McKee said.
The defense rested its case Monday morning, calling no witnesses in the case against
Black told Justice
Black repeatedly said, "Yes, your honor" when asked by Wheeler whether he had given consideration to testifying and whether he consulted with his attorney
Rushlau said in his closing statements Monday that all the evidence taken together leaves no reasonable doubt Black was guilty of attempted murder, elevated aggravated assault and assault.
Defense attorney
The jury was given the case late morning and decided to take a lunch break before returning to begin deliberations at
The state wrapped up its case with its first witness on Monday with Dr.
Burke said the injuries to
Both were hospitalized for eight days before they were released.
Rushlau told jurors during his closing statement Monday that Black acted as though his wife's money was his money and that he also was obsessed with his former high school girlfriend from 50 years ago and wanted to be with her. He pointed out to jurors a high school book with her signature on it was in his nightstand next to his bed.
McKee said, however, the lack of blood on Black's pants, the slight amount of blood on the mountaintop, the absence of the rock allegedly used to strike the woman all raised reasonable doubt. The defense attorney also said Black thought all his wife's money would go to her two daughters if something happened to her.
The prosecutor disputed that claim in his final statements to the jury, saying Black knew the daughters would not receive the money.
Her father died in
Zahn said Black wanted to move to
Carter testified that, in
She said she has had no contact with Black since the
Zahn told jurors she learned about the online affair early in 2011. She said, however, she was hopeful she and Black could make the marriage work, and the two went out to dinner on the night before the Maiden Cliff attack.
Zahn testified Black suggested a picnic on top of Maiden Cliff on the afternoon of
Black then grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her to the edge of the cliff and threw her over the side, Zahn said. She landed on a ledge 10 feet below the top and, after initially considering playing dead, decided to descend the mountain because she feared Black would kill her if she tried to climb back to the top.
She heard rustling she believed was Black coming after her. She then climbed to a sheer part of the cliff and held onto a tree root before she decided the only way to escape was to let go.
After landing about 35 feet below, she continued her descent, then saw her husband, about 90 feet away, plummeting off the cliff. She eventually found where he was and asked for his cellphone to call for help, but he said he did not know where it was.
He then asked her to help him and repeatedly begged her not to leave him.
She went down the mountain and managed to flag down the third car that passed, she said. Her rescue occurred at about
There is an 800-foot sheer drop at Maiden Cliff that has a large cross erected at the top and is a popular hiking destination. The cross was erected in memory of a young girl who fell to her death in the 1800s.
State police interviewed Black in his hospital room at EMMC in
Justice
That woman said she overheard a conversation the defendant had with another woman in July or
The document also states
The jury also did not hear testimony from Zahn whether she suspected Black of trying to kill her a couple weeks of weeks before the Maiden Cliff incident. She told police Black had climbed a ladder to the attic. She was standing at the bottom of the ladder when he fell down on top of her. Black told her he passed out, according to a police affidavit filed at the time of his arrest.
The assault charge in that matter was separated from this current trial.
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Defense offers no witnesses as trial nears end for man accused of pushing wife off Camden cliff
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