AUGUSTA – Timothy Danforth was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday as part of a partially-suspended sentence, having previously pleaded guilty to shooting a New Sharon man outside of a Weld Road residence in Wilton in 2016.
Danforth, 26 of Jay, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter in relation to the June 1, 2016 shooting death of Michael Reis, 24 of New Sharon outside the Danforth residence. The incident began with an unpaid debt of $200 owed to Danforth’s father, Robert Danforth, by Zachary Uhlman, an 18-year-old. A confrontation over the debt built for some time, eventually leading to a group of people in support of Uhlman, including Reis, eventually driving to Robert Danforth’s residence on the Weld Road. It was there that Reis was shot three times after he followed another man who had walked toward the house before him. After a Maine State Police investigation, Danforth was initially charged with murder.
A Franklin County jury heard the case in September and October 2017. Danforth’s attorneys, Sarah Glynn and Jeffrey Wilson, argued that the group that traveled to Danforth’s residence had brought objects that could have served as weapons and questioned the consistency of the statements of the state’s witnesses. Assistant Attorney General Robert Ellis, representing the state, contended that Reis had been was walking slowly with his hands raised when he approached the trailer porch occupied by Danforth, father Robert Danforth and a third man, Matthew Kerr, who were reportedly discussing a possible resolution to the daylong “war of words” that included insulting and/or threatening text messages.
The jury was unable to deliver an unanimous verdict and Justice William Stokes declared a mistrial. The case was set to be retried this year, but was preempted by an arranged plea that resulted in Danforth pleading guilty to manslaughter. The jointly recommended sentence included a 15-year prison sentence with a cap of six years on the unsuspended portion, followed by four years of probation.
Stokes, who heard the case at in Kennebec County Superior Court after the venue was changed for the new trial, sentenced Danforth to the full six years following Wednesday’s sentencing hearing.
“You don’t get the benefit of defense of premises when you tell someone ‘come over to my house’,” Stokes said as he issued the sentence, referring to a text sent to the Uhlman group earlier in the day.
Stokes noted that the case featured a “confusing cast of witnesses” whose stories did not always match up. Some of those witnesses, along with family and friends of both Danforth and Reis, addressed the court at Wednesday’s hearing, giving him “insight, but not making it any easier.”
“We use the word tragedy frequently to describe events, but this really is a tragedy in so many ways,” Stokes told the at-times emotional audience.
Among those that spoke was Reis’ twin brother, Jonathan Reis, two of his best friends, and his lifelong guardian Joe Bissonnette.
“Mike was the best of us. I will try to honor his legacy by spreading kindness and love. If he were here today, I know he would forgive you, Tim,” Joel Kreitzman said.
Those speaking on behalf of Danforth included his counselor, former teacher, mother and wife, asking the court to take mercy on the young father who had been raised with a “rough home life.” A number of speakers said that Danforth’s father had been a poor role model, and that Timothy Danforth’s had a lifelong desire to please his father despite those circumstances.
“I know everybody here thinks my son is a monster, but he’s not. He’s loving, he’s caring. He would help anybody and everybody, stranger or not. The life we lived was horrible and I wish I could have had the strength to get us out,” Tina Danforth, Timothy Danforth’s mother said.
Danforth also addressed the audience, apologizing to the Reis’ family as well as to his own. He said that he knew nothing he would say would bring Reis back, but that he hoped the conclusion of the case might provide some closure.
Stokes said he believed Danforth was making a genuine effort to better his life.
“I think you have potential to be a positive contributing member of society, and I don’t say that to everyone,” Stokes told Danforth.
Danforth was taken into custody following the trial.
I can’t believe or accept this timmy was guilty from the time franklin county dispatch heard the name Danforth
Doesn’t everyone’s friends come to visit with bats and brass knuckles? I mean what did he have to fear but fear itself?
Maine needs the Stand Your Ground law.
Just another example of one of the dangers of dope other than ingesting it.. The old saying prevails… screw with the bull and you might get the horn….
Failure. The guy defended his home, how is he doing jail time??
The guy was talking towards him with his hands up what was he defending?
This is a horribly sad situation. It is so disappointing that the jury of Franklin County did not find him not guilty and now he is going to prison.
This case has nothing to do with marijuana. It’s about defending yourself. I would think that most people would defend themselves and their family members in this same situation.
at John. Unless you were on that porch, you can’t know the truth, because, as Judge Stokes pointed out yesterday, Matt Kerr couldn’t get his story staight on the stand, and he was on the porch.
Drugs make the best people do the worst things. A lot of bad decisions were made here with devastating results for everyone. Sad, tragic and didn’t have to happen.
This whole thing is so sad. This never should have gone beyond angry text messages over $200. The big question I have is this, why did the Danforth family decide to not call the police when all these people came and they wouldn’t leave the property? This question needs no answer though, this whole thing is thankfully over. Now the past is in the past and everyone can focus on the future.
To the family of Michael Reis I am so sorry for the tragic loss of your loved one and I hope this sentence being issued can help in some way bring closure. I wish you all peace, love, and fond memory’s of Michael. I’m sure he’s with you all in spirit and will be close to your heart always and into the future.
To Timothy Danforth, Yes, you did make a terrible choice. However by pleading guilty you have taken responsibility for that choice. I hope you can make many positive changes to your life which in turn will make your, and your family’s, future better.
Sc, the Danforths did call the police earlier in the even and right after it happened. Sometimes events happen so fast that during that time there isn’t time to call the police.
why are you not posting my comments? I only stated facts from the court room?
What a stupid and unnecessary ‘encounter’. There is more to this story, of course – always is. Best lessons to learn may be “don’t escalate things with people” and “don’t go to their house to show ‘force'”. “Don’t challenge people to COME OVER and help make the situation worse”, “don’t get so worked up over $200 you grab weapons”…and understand the law!
Doesn’t matter right or wrong, he is dead and should not have been there, and the one who used deadly force is going away – bad outcomes all around for them. Cool heads prevail and might prevent a tragedy in the future.
I can understand defending yourself and home, but he didn’t need to shoot him 3 times and kill him. I think he deserves a much longer sentence.
Bull..
He didn’t shoot to kill him three times. He shot a warning shot at his foot and a warning shot at his leg. He kept running at him. The third shot was in the shoulder. If you’re being shot at, do you continue to run at at the person shooting you?
Personally if you are a grower you should NOT be permitted to have fire arms. It’s way too easy to grab a gun to scare someone but in the process kill them. There are ways to find out who has a card and search their homes to take the weapons. You want to legalize it fine, but put restrictions on it.
@ momof4..hell do the same with alcohol..think about! Get real..
our nation’s ingenious founding fathers foresaw comments like yours, so they included the words: “Shall Not Be Infringed” in the US Constitution.
Don’t forget the words of our state constitution: “Every citizen has a right to keep and bear arms and this right shall never be questioned.”
Momof4 I have talked with people who have a card and they told me that you are supposed to give up your firearms. I haven’t read the paperwork personally but that is what a few different cardholders have told me.
@Momof4 Your statement is the biggest load of horse poo I have seen in a long time. I don’t think the legislature is going to take away 2nd amendment rights of anyone just because they grow pot legally. In that same thought process should someone have to give up their guns because their Dr. gives them a prescription for painkillers? Those are the individuals who might need their guns the most to protect their medication! Who will store the cache of firearms? Hannaford, Walmart, and Rite Aid? Do you get your guns back when you turn in a prescription bottle? I have never had to “grab a gun to scare someone but in the process kill them” because like all responsible gun owners I was taught not to point a gun at anything I didn’t intend to kill!