Trial and Error
The Outcry for Justice in the Dennis Dechaine Case
Dennis - Trial and Error - Dennis Dechaine
Video Interviews with Dennis
Since his incarceration in Maine State Prison in 1988, Dennis Dechaine has been interviewed by the media many times. Some of those interviews were videotaped. In 2004, he talked with independent filmmaker Richard Searls about his upbringing in Madawaska, his family, marriage, arrest, conviction and life in prison. In 2010, he was interviewed by Trevor Maxwell, then a reporter for the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram. Clicking on the link to Maxwell’s interview will also take you to a comprehensive series of articles he wrote about the case for the papers.
Dennis's Timeline
October 29, 1957
Dennis John Dechaine is born.
1966
His mother, Julia, died when Dennis was 9 years old.
1971
His father Donald (Donat in French), died when Dennis was 14 years old.
May 5, 1976
Sarah Cherry is born to Debra Cherry and Gilbert Austin.
Photos of Dennis
As he looked in the 1976 Madawaska High School Yearbook
Read the Book
Human Sacrifice: On the Altar of Injustice
High-quality soft-cover edition, 418 pages,
is exclusively available from Trial & Error for $15, with free shipping.
I would encourage everyone to pick up a copy of Liberty’s Prison: The Inmate’s Son Who Radically Reformed an American Prison. The book features the life and career of Maine’s Commissioner of Corrections Randall “Randy” Liberty and includes interviews with several men who are currently incarcerated at the Maine State Prison. Although the author uses pseudonyms, I’m certain that the man named “John” is Dennis. This book gives us a glimpse into “John’s” life behind bars, an opportunity to learn about all of the good he is doing for the benefit of his fellow inmates. No one who knows Dennis will be the least bit surprised!