LEWISTON – A Superior Court justice Tuesday ordered a Lewiston man be held without bail in the shooting death of 19-year-old Natasha Morgan last month in Lewiston.
Jaquille Coleman Submitted photo
Jaquille Coleman, 26, was formally charged Tuesday with knowing or intentional murder, a Class A felony punishable by 25 years to life in prison.
Justice Valerie Stanfill ordered that Coleman be held without bail at Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn pending a hearing. She said the hearing would be scheduled within the next few weeks, allowing the state to produce witnesses and testimony that show there is probable cause for denying him bail.
According to an arrest affidavit written by Detective Abbe Chabot of the Maine State Police, on Aug. 21, police received a report that a shooting occurred outside 175 Scribner Boulevard in Lewiston and the suspect, Coleman, fled the scene in a gray Chevy Cruze. Chabot said police found Morgan on the ground and had been shot several times in the chest.
According to the affidavit, police learned through interviews with Morgan’s family that Morgan and Coleman had dated and had a child together, but Morgan had broken up with Coleman the previous night. The next day, while Coleman was dropping off their daughter at Morgan’s house, one of Morgan’s family members told police they heard Coleman express an interest in renewing their relationship. When Morgan turned to walk away, Coleman got in his vehicle and fired four shots at her.
Morgan’s mother told Chabot that when she approached Coleman’s vehicle to stop him, he pointed a gun at her as he drove away.
Morgan was taken to Central Maine Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, Chabot said.
Coleman was eventually captured Aug. 26 in Mississippi and returned to Maine.
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