On the evening of June 24, 1997, a dispute in Portland, Maine, that began earlier in the day ended in gunfire outside the apartment of local bar owner Sabato Raia. Three young men — 22-year-old Nicholas Patenaude and his acquaintances Dana Matthews and Kevin Pinette — were found dead at the scene from gunshot wounds after the confrontation.

Raia was arrested and charged with three counts of murder in connection with the deaths. He did not deny firing the shots; his defense was that he acted in self-defense, saying he feared for his life during the encounter. The question of what happened in the moments leading up to the shooting was central at trial, and a jury ultimately accepted the self-defense claim in December 1997, acquitting Raia of all charges.

The verdict closed the criminal case but left lasting consequences for the victims’ families and the Portland community. Does anyone have memories of the case or new details about the night of June 24, 1997, that could add context?