A family birthday in Lewiston, Maine, ended in homicide on November 8, 2006. Roland Gerry Poirier was seated at his Grove Street home for his 65th birthday dinner when a single rifle shot came through a sliding glass door and struck him in the neck. Guests at the table initially thought a wine bottle had exploded before police found the bullet hole and the fatal wound.

Authorities quickly identified Roland’s 34-year-old son, Scott Poirier, as the shooter. Scott had been outside the house and fired a .270-caliber rifle into the dining room, then hid the weapon near his sister’s home before going to officers and confessing. During interviews and at trial Scott said he had been sexually abused by his father as a teenager and that he acted to protect his own sons; his defense presented evidence of depression, suicidal thoughts, substance dependence, and PTSD symptoms. Prosecutors described the shooting as premeditated and introduced a recorded confession describing the plan and actions.

Did anyone at Grove Street or in the family circle see or hear anything that night that hasn’t been shared publicly?