Lincoln County Courts

Holbrook takes Alford plea in 2017 shootings, arson

Fri, 05/17/2019 - 9:00am

    Michael Holbrook, 47, of Boothbay took an Alford plea to address several charges stemming from a night of violence and mayhem on April 14 and 15, 2017.

    Holbrook took the plea, similar to a no contest plea, in exchange for a series of consecutive and concurrent sentences that will give him 10 years in jail, with all but two years suspended, and six years of probation.

    The two most serious charges, Criminal Attempt (to commit murder) and Arson are Class A felonies. Each garnered a sentence of eight years, all but nine months suspended. A second charge of Arson was dismissed.

    According to police reports, Holbrook went to a home on Old County Road in Edgecomb and got into a physical fight with two people, then pointed a 9 mm handgun at one of the victims and pulled the trigger three times. The safety was on; there was no gunshot wound. Police responded, but by then, Holbrook had fled. Later, he returned and shot the area where three people were outside, near a fire pit, and he shot up a vehicle. He fled again and started a fire at 214 Pension Ridge Road in Boothbay. Due to the police presence and because at first no one knew where Holbrook was, fire departments were unable to respond and the house burned to the ground.

    Holbrook went to a building a couple of hundred yards away that his father owned. Holbrook surrendered after a standoff.

    In addition to the attempted murder and arson felonies, Holbrook will serve nine months concurrently for two counts of Criminal Threatening with a Dangerous Weapon, Class C; and six months for two counts of Assault, and one count of Criminal Mischief, all Class D misdemeanors. He will also serve two years, all suspended, for Reckless Conduct with a Dangerous Weapon, a Class C felony.

    Holbrook will serve the whole jail sentence at Two Bridges Regional Jail. Justice Daniel  Billings issued a stay until July 12 for Holbrook to turn himself in, as long as he complies with his bail conditions, which include no contact with the victims. He has been out on bail since May 11, 2017.