Trial and Error
The Outcry for Justice in the Dennis Dechaine Case
Did Dennis Dechaine kill Sarah Cherry?
Jul 4, 2010
The prisoner says he is tired of telling the story.
Thirty-year-old Dennis Dechaine of Bowdoinham is escorted to his arraignment in the slaying of 12-year-old Sarah Cherry on July 12, 1988, four days after his arrest. Dechaine has been in custody since.
COMING NEXT WEEK: In Dennis Dechaine’s latest bid for a new trial, the key piece of evidence is a fragment of unidentified male DNA, extracted by scientists in 1994 from a thumbnail clipping of 12-year-old murder victim Sarah Cherry. Serving a life sentence for the crime, the prisoner hopes this trace of genetic material can alter his fate.
But there’s a court hearing on the horizon that could be his last chance at a new trial. There are some things that he wants the public to hear again.
By Trevor Maxwell This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Staff Writer
Read the Book
Human Sacrifice: On the Altar of Injustice
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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!