UPDATE: The murder trial that was scheduled to start September 6 in Houlton Superior Court has been postponed and will be moved out of Aroostook County. Of  the 109 potential jurors who had reported for duty, only 20 jurors were left for the pool as of Thursday afternoon.  Justice E. Allen Hunter granted a change of venue after it became clear that a jury could not be seated.

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Original post: Thursday, Sept 1

Jury selection is underway in the murder trial of a Houlton man charged with killing a southern Aroostook County couple and setting their home on fire.

The judge has set aside two days to seat a jury for the trial of 35-year-old Matthew Davis. Davis is accused of shooting 51-year-old Michael Kitchen and 49-year-old Heidi Pratt in the bedroom of their home in Oakfield. Police said he then set the house and a vehicle on fire before fleeing the scene.

The killings happened on September 23, 2013. Davis is charged with two counts of murder, along with four counts of arson, theft and aggravated criminal mischief.

The trial is due to begin next week in Superior Court in Houlton. Defense attorneys recently sought to move the proceedings outside Aroostook County, but that effort was denied.

 

With information from the Associated Press

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