State v. Turmel

The respondent was indicted for the murder committed on September 2, 1949 of Anna Evelyn Dunlap at Houlton in the County of Aroostook. On his representation that he would plead not guilty by reason of insanity, he was on September 21, 1949 ordered committed to the Augusta State Hospital for observation. The report from that institution was received at the November term of the Superior Court for Aroostook County at which term he was arraigned, pleaded not guilty and went to trial. Nothing more was heard of the defense of insanity. He was convicted of murder, sentenced to the State Prison for life, filed a motion for a new trial, which was denied by the trial justice, and filed an appeal which is now before us. The evidence shows that the respondent, twenty-seven years old, a resident of Hartford, Connecticut, was employed as a laborer in the construction of the Houlton High School. On the afternoon of Friday, September 2, 1949, he finished his work on that job and shortly thereafter was seen with Anna Dunlap at the head of the stairs which led to her apartment over the liquor store on Bangor Street in Houlton. Apparently then or shortly thereafter Turmel went into Anna Dunlap's apartment with her and he was not seen in the hallway with her again. Subsequently about eight thirty p.m. Anna Dunlap's voice was heard coming from her apartment using the word ""Stop."" Three times this was heard and each time it was accompanied by a slap.