GUILTY ME - Derrick Thompson, 19, & Alivia Welch, 18, murdered, Biddeford, 29 Dec 2012

http://www.centurylink.net/news/read.php?rip_id=<DA3G7N2G0@news.ap.org>&ps=915

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A 74-year-old Maine man was charged in the shooting deaths of two tenants inside an apartment he rented out at his home, and detectives are investigating whether the violence is connected to a landlord-tenant dispute, state police said Sunday.

James Pak was arrested at about 10 p.m. Saturday following a standoff at his suburban neighborhood home in Biddeford, about 15 miles south of Portland, police said. He is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Derrick Thompson, 19, and Thompson's girlfriend, 18-year-old Alivia Welch.........................more at link..........

SMH...I will never understand how anyone can just think they will take a life...

Maine landlord to appear in court on murder charges in shooting deaths of apartment tenants

PORTLAND, Maine &#8211; Authorities say a 74-year-old Maine man will appear in court this week to face charges in the shooting deaths of two of his tenants inside their apartment after a possible dispute over where they parked their cars during a snowstorm.


This <mod snip> also shot Thompson's mother and she had a 6 year old son there.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/3...der-charges-in-shooting-deaths/#ixzz2GctLRpU9

Aside from his prominence as a businessman, Pak was well known for his life story.

He was separated from his parents and five siblings at age 6 when the North Korean Army invaded his home in South Korea.

Wandering alone in an apocalyptic landscape, Pak happened upon some lost American solders. He helped them find their way to an air base and was rewarded for his kindness by a commander who took him under his wing.

After the death of the commander who took him in, Pak moved to Vermont. He overcame taunts and harassment during his early years in the states by learning English, completing school and going on to work at everything from dairy farming to a job at General Electric.

In 1999, Pak and a longtime friend managed to track down two of his sisters and his mother, who were still living in South Korea.

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http://www.pressherald.com/news/Pak...t-friends-business-associates-2012-12-30.html

Not making excuses so don't think that.

James Pak Due In Court For Alleged Shooting Deaths Of Derrick Thompson And Alivia Welch

Deputy Attorney General Bill Stokes said James Pak did not enter a plea during a brief court appearance Monday afternoon in York County Superior Court in Alfred. He is being held without bail.

full article at link ................ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/james-pak-due-in-court_n_2387911.html




The article in the previous post has all his friends and business acquaintances who gave glowing reports of what a wonderful guy Mr. Pak (alleged shooter) is. I guess he has a Jekyl/Hyde personality. At the link here, one of his neighbors has something just the opposite to say of Mr. Pak. jmho, fran


"Andrew Lemelin, 19, who lives across the street from Pak, told the newspaper that he'd done some work for Pak earlier this year, but Pak wasn't satisfied with his performance. He said Pak wrote to his father asking for his wages back, but his father declined. Lemelin said Pak left a message on the family's answering machine that he described as disturbing and threatening.

Lemelin said his family gave the message to Biddeford police but nothing came of it."

fran said:

James Pak Due In Court For Alleged Shooting Deaths Of Derrick Thompson And Alivia Welch

Deputy Attorney General Bill Stokes said James Pak did not enter a plea during a brief court appearance Monday afternoon in York County Superior Court in Alfred. He is being held without bail.

full article at link ................ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/james-pak-due-in-court_n_2387911.html




The article in the previous post has all his friends and business acquaintances who gave glowing reports of what a wonderful guy Mr. Pak (alleged shooter) is. I guess he has a Jekyl/Hyde personality. At the link here, one of his neighbors has something just the opposite to say of Mr. Pak. jmho, fran


"Andrew Lemelin, 19, who lives across the street from Pak, told the newspaper that he'd done some work for Pak earlier this year, but Pak wasn't satisfied with his performance. He said Pak wrote to his father asking for his wages back, but his father declined. Lemelin said Pak left a message on the family's answering machine that he described as disturbing and threatening.

Lemelin said his family gave the message to Biddeford police but nothing came of it."

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Maybe the the shooter doesn't like young people for some reason? The victims were 19 and 18, and this boy is 19 also...

Police: Maine man threatened, then killed tenants

http://centurylink.net/news/read.php?id=19230120&ps=1011&cat=&cps=0&lang=en

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A 74-year-old Maine man killed two teenage tenants inside their apartment after arguing with them about late rent, snow shoveling and parking, according to a police affidavit released Monday.

James Pak, of Biddeford, walked into the apartment attached to his home and told the tenants he was going to shoot them before following through on his threat, police wrote. A third tenant survived by playing dead and hiding behind a Christmas tree. Pak allegedly told police he spared the life of a 6-year-old boy who lived in the apartment but thought he killed three adults.................

Biddeford police had been at Pak's home minutes before the shootings. ............

Police left after Thompson told the officers he didn't fear Pak, only to have Johnson call 911 three minutes later reporting the shootings.............

Biddeford Police Chief Roger Beaupre told The Portland Press Herald that one of his officers had to use a stun gun on Pak because the suspect refused to take his hands out of his pockets when he exited the house.

Pak had alcohol on his breath and told police he was suicidal and wanted to die, the affidavit reads....................

More at link......

Seems this is another case where mental health intervention would have helped prevent a tragedy.

popsicle said:

http://www.pressherald.com/news/Pak...t-friends-business-associates-2012-12-30.html

Not making excuses so don't think that.

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From the link above....

He was separated from his parents and five siblings at age 6 when the North Korean Army invaded his home in South Korea.

Wandering alone in an apocalyptic landscape, Pak happened upon some lost American solders. He helped them find their way to an air base and was rewarded for his kindness by a commander who took him under his wing.

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At the least I think we can agree that this man suffered horrific emotional trauma as a 6-year-old child. Of course that does not excuse his terrible crime, but certainly helps shed light on possible psychological instabilty. It is a tragedy from all sides.

https://bangordailynews.com/2016/01...rial-of-biddeford-landlord-moved-to-portland/

The trial of a Biddeford landlord charged with killing two teenagers and injuring an adult in 2012 has been moved from Alfred to Portland.

The trial of 77-year-old James Pak... was recently rescheduled for Feb. 17 and moved to Cumberland County Superior Court. Two weeks have been set aside for the trial.

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February 2016:

James Pak pleads guilty to murdering two teenagers in Biddeford apartment he owned

http://www.pressherald.com/2016/02/03/biddeford-landlord-pleads-guilty-to-murdering-2-young-tenants/

Biddeford landlord James Pak pleaded guilty Wednesday in York County Superior Court to murdering two teenage tenants in 2012 after a dispute over parking spaces.

The mother of one, who also was shot but survived the attack, said she is routinely haunted by the experience and doubts she will ever get over it.

Pak, 77, shot and killed Derrick Thompson, 19, and his girlfriend, Alivia Welch, 18, in the apartment they and Thompson’s mother, Susan Johnson, rented from Pak at 17 Sokokis Road.

Pak also pleaded guilty to trying to murder Johnson, now 47. Johnson lay under their Christmas tree, pretending to be dead as Pak used a .357 Magnum to kill the two teenagers on Dec. 29, 2012.

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Families lament young lives lost as Biddeford man gets life in prison for killing 2 teenagers

http://www.pressherald.com/2016/02/11/biddeford-man-sentenced-for-2012-slaying-of-two-teenagers/

A Biddeford landlord who pleaded guilty last week to murdering two teenagers in 2012 after an argument over snow removal was given two life sentences Thursday, one for each victim.

Susan Johnson, Thompson’s mother, said she’ll never get to see her son grow or raise children of his own. His sister, Kari Henderson, said her own children don’t understand why their uncle is gone, only that they “miss him so much.”

Dan Welch, Alivia’s father, called her the “perfect daughter” who lit up every room and whose best days were ahead of her. Her mother, Jocelyne Welch, said some days her heart hurts “so much … it feels like I’m having a heart attack, like I could die of a broken heart.”

After the two-hour hearing in York County Superior Court, family members said they were satisfied with the sentence.

“It’s the best we could have hoped for,” Johnson said outside the courthouse.

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The parents of the two victims, who were boyfriend and girlfriend, filed lawsuits against the city of Biddeford, the Biddeford police and others.

A trial date for the suits scheduled for Jan. 7 has been rescheduled for early March.

Trial for lawsuit in Biddeford murders rescheduled as defendants seek dismissal

The city of Biddeford is asking a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit filed against the Biddeford Police Department in connection with a deadly shooting nearly seven years ago, court documents said.

Biddeford wants lawsuit filed in connection with deadly 2012 shooting thrown out