Maine Man Gets 65 Years for a Shooting, Machete Attack on 2 Men

A Gardiner man is going to prison after being found guilty of charges connected to an attack in 2020 that left one man dead and another badly hurt.

Who Were the Men Involved in This Case?

Dylan Ketcham, 23, was sentenced on Tuesday to 65 years in prison for the murder of Jordan Johnson, 22, and the attempted murder and elevated aggravated assault of Caleb Trudeau, 21, in 2020.

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What Were the Details of the Case?

It was on January 25th of that year when a wounded man went to a stranger's door and told them to call 911. When officers arrived, they found Johnson and Trudeau outside a home on Lincoln Avenue in Gardiner, just after 1:00 in the morning. Both men were transported to MaineGeneral Hospital in Augusta before being flown by Life Flight to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Trudeau recovered but Johnson died of his injuries. Trudeau suffered a bone-deep cut to his scalp and injuries to his wrists that have left him unable to fully use his hands after Ketcham attacked him with what police called a machete.

Police began looking for the suspect in the case. Ketcham was found hiding in the foundation of a building nearby and taken into custody.

How Was Ketcham Sentenced?

On Tuesday, he was sentenced to 45 years for the murder of Johnson and 20 years for the assault and attempted murder of Trudeau. The judge said the sentences should be served consecutively because this was two different crimes against two different victims.

In court, Ketcham's attorney argued that it was a case of self-defense, claiming that Johnson had threatened Ketcham and intended to do him harm on the night he was killed. According to the Kennebec Journal, the attorney said they will appeal the conviction and sentence.