AUGUSTA — A Benton woman accused of shooting and injuring a man she was dating pleaded not guilty Monday to attempted murder.
Hailie Hotham, 21, was arrested and accused of shooting Izeck Spaulding, 19, of Benton, at her Benton home Aug. 8, after the pair argued.
Spaulding underwent surgery for a gunshot wound in the neck, according to a news release from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office.
Other charges Hotham pleaded not guilty to at the Capital Judicial Center include domestic violence elevated aggravated assault, and domestic violence aggravated assault.
Hotham did not speak in court, other than to answer “not guilty, your honor,” when Judge Amy Dieterich asked for her pleas to each allegation.
She remains out on $2,500 cash bail, and is due back in court in January for a hearing on a motion for suppression, filed by her attorney, Walter McKee.
An affidavit filed by Deputy Chad Webster of the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office states Spaulding insulted Hotham and they were arguing. Hotham told police she tried to reach some of Spaulding’s friends for help getting him out of the house, including one friend who said if she or police tried to remove Spaulding from Hotham’s house on Unity Road in Benton Spaulding would become violent.
Hotham and her younger sister left the home and called a friend, whom she said had helped resolve a similar incident two days earlier. The friend came over and convinced Spaulding to leave.
But when Spaulding tried to leave, police allege, he continued to insult Hotham and she shot him with a Glock 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. The pistol was secured at the scene by police.
Hotham helped render aid to Spaulding while they waited for an ambulance to arrive, the affidavit noted. She was arrested at the scene and told police she shot Spaulding and she should not have done it.
Spaulding was taken to Thayer Center for Health in Waterville, then taken by LifeFlight of Maine to Maine Medical Center in Portland where he underwent surgery.
Hotham told police she and Spaulding had been on an alcohol and cocaine “bender” for several days, according to Webster’s affidavit.
McKee, after Hotham was indicted, said previously, “As one might expect, there are a tremendous number of facts and circumstances that gave rise to what happened on Aug. 8th, all of which will come to light in due course.”
The attempted murder and domestic violence elevated aggravated assault charges are Class A crimes, punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
