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.

A man in Maine accused of fatally shooting a former friend and nearly severing the hands of another man was ordered to serve decades behind bars for the crimes.

A judge in Portland sentenced Dylan Ketcham on May 16 to serve 45 years for the murder of Jordan Johnson, and 30 years, to be served consecutively, with all but 20 suspended, plus four years of probation for the attempted murder and elevated aggravated assault of Caleb Trudeau, The Bangor Daily News reported.

In January 2020, Ketchum shot Johnson in the head and used a machete to stab Trudeau.

In a police statement obtained by News Center Maine, Maine State Police Det. Sarah Ferland wrote Trudeau suffered “several lacerations on the left side of his body, including his should, clavicle, and arms” and his wrists were “severed through to the bone and attached to his forearms by skin only.”

Det. Ferland said in the statement the defendant later acknowledged he “f***** up” and went too far, News Center Maine reported.

The defense argued Ketcham acted in self-defense after the victims previously threatened him with a baseball bat and had lured him to a secluded area, WMTW reported during trial.