A Jealous Man in Maine Wanted to Kill His Ex So 'No One Else Could Have Her.' Then He carried Out His Plan.
A Maine man was jealous of his ex-girlfriend’s new relationship and said he wanted to kill her so “no one else could have her.”
He then carried out his plan and is now serving the rest of his life behind bars.
Recently, a Maine judge sentenced Mark Penley to two life sentences for the murders of his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend Dana Hill.
On New Year’s Day 2019, Penley shot the duo in their apartment in South Paris, Maine, according to Fox 23. He then called 911. When police arrived, they found Penley holding Pickford’s baby and an 8-year-old child on the couch in the home.
Bickford was scared of Penley up until the day she was killed, and a landlord said she was trying to get a restraining order because she felt her ex was following her, according to FOX 23.
Penley’s jealousy grew, and he made plans to kill her so “no one else could have her,” according to Fox 23.
At his October 2021 trial, prosecutors said Penley left Facebook voice messages that threatened Bickford over her new relationship, according to the Sun Journal.
- A Minnesota Man Lured His Girlfriend to Her Death, But Says He Can't Recall Many Details Since He Was on Meth
- He Shot Three People To Death And Claimed Accidental Discharge And Self-defense. The Jury Didn’t Buy It.
- A Maine Man Said He Was Threatened With a Baseball Bat. So, He Shot Dead His Ex-Friend and Nearly Severed Another Victim’s Hands.
“And if you do date Dana, guess what, I will do everything in my power to f****** make sure that boy f****** dies. It’s that f****** simple. I f****** hate that piece of s*** for what he did to us,” Penley said, according to the Sun Journal.
Bickford was shot five times, including in the head and face, prosecutors said, the newspaper reported. When police found the victims, the children were also home.
Penley’s bloody fingerprint was found on Bickford’s cellphone in the apartment, prosecutors noted. His DNA was also on the gun recovered at the crime scene.
After Penley was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences, the sentence was vacated due to evidentiary issues, the Bangor Daily News reported. He was resentenced to serve the same term, and lost an appeal that went all the way to the state's Supreme Court earlier this year.
Become a Front Page Detective
Sign up to receive breaking
Front Page Detectives
news and exclusive investigations.