Police charged a 58-year-old Liberty man with murder on Thursday, five months after a man was found dead in Palermo under what police deemed suspicious circumstances.
Kirby Bradford is accused of killing Robert Bruso, 56, of Palermo, the Maine State Police said in a statement issued Friday.
Bruso was found dead April 19 around 10:30 a.m. when state police were conducting a welfare check at 128 Boots and Saddle Road, state police said.
Major crimes unit detectives deemed the death suspicious at the time, and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta ruled the manner of death to be a homicide, state police said.
Police have yet to disclose the cause of Bruso’s death.
Bradford, who was already being held at the Kennebec County jail on unrelated charges, was set to make an initial court appearance at 1 p.m Friday at the Waldo Judicial Center in Belfast.
He did not enter a plea, a court clerk said.
At that appearance, Bradford would not be asked to enter a plea. Prosecutors must first seek an indictment from a grand jury.
Bradford is being held without bail on charges of robbery, violating conditions of release, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and two motions to revoke bail, a jail official said.
Bradford was arrested Aug. 8 and charged with robbing Shoe Dept. Encore store at 40 JFK Plaza, on Kennedy Memorial Drive, in Waterville.
Police received a report of the robbery the night of Aug. 8, and store employees provided a description of a man and his vehicle, Maj. Jason Longley, of Waterville Police Department, said in a statement.
Police located the vehicle and stopped it on Carter Memorial Drive, and detained Bradford.
Police declined to say how much money was taken from the store.
Police said they are still looking for Bruso’s dog, a golden retriever named Lenny. Anyone with information about Lenny or who has seen a golden retriever around Route 3 in Palermo near Boots and Saddle Road or Level Hill Road is asked to call 207-624-7076.
Staff Writer Keith Edwards contributed to this story.
