Maine Man Going To Prison For Fatal Shooting

A Maine man who shot another man and then left him at a hospital emergency room received his sentence this week.

Maine, Man Sentenced for Shooting Death in Lewiston

It was in November 2023 when Anthony Ayotte, 40, of Lewiston, was dropped off at the Emergency Department of St. Mary's Hospital in that city, where he was treated for gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving measures, Ayotte succumbed to his injuries.

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An investigation into the death led authorities to Jerry Thibodeau of Lewiston. When the police tried to take Thibodeau into custody from a home on Sabattus Street, however,  he refused to surrender.

After a 5-hour standoff, police got the suspect in custody and charged him with murder.

Lewiston, Maine, Man Says He Left Shooting Victim at the Hospital

Court testimony revealed that the admitted drug dealer said he, Ayotte, and a woman were riding around in his truck when he fired a gun twice. Ayotte was shot in the head and neck.

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WABI-TV reports Thibodeau then confessed that he and the woman dropped Ayotte off at the emergency room and left.

The murder charge was reduced to manslaughter, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, and Thibodeau received his sentence this week in an Androscoggin County courtroom.

Lewiston, Maine, Man Sentenced for Manslaughter, Drug Charges

A judge sentenced Jerry Thibodeau to 25 years in prison, with all but 15 years suspended. In addition, he was sentenced to five years in prison for drug trafficking and four years of probation.

Thibodeau apologized to Ayotte's family in the courtroom, stating that he wished he had stayed at the hospital.