A 71-year-old Aroostook County man who served a quarter century in prison for a 1970's murder is back in prison after being arrested for illegally hunting deer.

Gary Mahaney, a Mars Hill native, was convicted in 1980 for the 1974 shooting of Rand Blanchard in Westfield.  Blanchard’s body was found in his grandfather's car on a logging road in Westfield on Dec. 16, 1974. Court records also show Mahaney had previously served time for shooting at a game warden while poaching deer. He was also alleged to have been involved in a long-time drug-smuggling operation which involved investigation of co-defendant David Bradbury, who was also convicted in Blanchard's murder, and then-Maine State Police Detective Charles Powers of New Limerick, who was convicted of bribery.

Maine Dept of Corrections
Maine Dept of Corrections
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Mahaney's parole required that he not enter Aroostook and Penobscot counties and not use firearms. The Maine State Police Tactical Team says investigators arrested Mahaney in Masardis on Dec. 2.  Game wardens say he hunted deer using bait in Lincoln County in November and gave a fake name when questioned. He was located using that alias at a home on Garfield Road in Masardis.

Mahaney and Bradbury denied killing Blanchard up until a 2005 parole board hearing when Mahaney said he fired the shots.

Mahaney now faces a maximum of  30 more years in prison.

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