A 64-year-old Fairfield man who had been serving a murder sentence since 2004 died Saturday morning at the Maine State Prison in Warren.
Gregory Warmke, a former landscaper, was sentenced to 37 years in prison for shooting his ex-wife, Leslie Bullock, in May 2003, about a year after their divorce.
According to the Maine Department of Corrections, Warmke’s death was attended by medical personnel. Further details were not released Sunday.
During his trial, according to the Sun Journal, Warmke’s lawyer portrayed him as a passive man who sank into depression after his marriage ended. Warmke testified he believed God had instructed him in a dream to kill Bullock and then kill himself.
Assistant Attorney General Andrew Benson said Warmke wrote but never mailed letters to Bullock, saying he intended to shoot her twice. He did so, with a 12-gauge shotgun.
Benson had sought a life sentence for Warmke. He said in 2004, “This is a case where premeditation in fact rises to levels I have never seen.”
The state Department of Corrections, following policy, has notified the Office of the Maine Attorney General, state police and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner of Warmke’s death.
Warmke’s earliest release date would have been April 2035, according to the Department of Corrections.
Reporting from the Associated Press is included in this report.
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