SKOWHEGAN — Family and friends of a Norridgewock man accused in the March shooting death of his girlfriend’s son spoke favorably of their relationships with him in court Friday, as attorneys argued over whether he should be granted bail.

But their testimony did not sway the judge presiding over the case. 

After the hearing at Skowhegan District Court, Superior Court Justice Daniel J. Mitchell ordered Daniel V. Markey, 60, to continued to be held without bail while awaiting trial. 

Markey is charged with intentional or knowing murder for the March 1 death of Christopher Nickerson, 39, of Norridgewock. 

He pleaded not guilty in May, and the case is on track to go to trial in August 2026. Markey has been held at the Somerset County Jail in Madison.

A grand jury indictment returned in April alleges Markey shot and killed Nickerson with a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver. Authorities believe the shooting took place at Markey’s residence on the River Road in Norridgewock after Markey and Nickerson had a fight earlier that morning, according to court records.

Markey’s court-appointed attorneys, Connor Herrold and Stephen Smith, both of Steve Smith Trial Lawyers in Augusta, pointed to Markey’s ties to the community in Maine and where he used to live in New Hampshire as the main reason for Mitchell to grant bail.

Markey’s friend, Francis Fournier Jr., said he could let Markey live at his house in Troy, New Hampshire. Fournier also owns property in Starks. Herrold suggested that Fournier’s New Hampshire home is where he envisions Markey would go if released from jail.

Also testifying Friday were Markey’s sister Donna Collins, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, who appeared via videoconference; his brother-in-law Keith Whitehouse, of Exeter, New Hampshire; and friend Jason Mariotti, of North Anson.

“I think he has good character,” said Mariotti, who called himself a close friend of Markey. “I’ve never known him to get in any trouble or anything like that. He’s always been a calm and reasonable person. I’ve never seen him act crazy or anything. In helping me with my stuff, he’s always been the voice of, ‘take it easy, don’t get emotional, you’ll get through it, one piece at a time.’”

All four who testified for Markey’s defense said they would help ensure Markey attends future court proceedings if he were to be released on bail. Herrold said Markey would be willing to submit to monitoring or house arrest.

Prosecutor Jennifer Ackerman, an assistant attorney general, said she had no doubt Markey would attend future court proceedings, but raised concerns about his attempted contact with Christopher Nickerson’s family while in jail.

Among the people Markey has contacted from jail include Kathleen Nickerson, his girlfriend and the mother of Christopher Nickerson, Ackerman said.

On Oct. 16, Mitchell granted Ackerman’s request to restrict Markey’s communication with Kathleen Nickerson and two of her family members, court records show.

“Mr. Markey seems to be insistent on trying to reach out to these family members and to communicate with them and somehow potentially influence Ms. Nickerson, the only eyewitness, who is a critical witness in the state’s case,” Ackerman said, adding she was concerned about her safety.

Markey also called a victim witness advocate in the attorney general’s office. Ackerman said she has never heard of a defendant in a murder case doing that.

Herrold responded that Markey has ceased attempts at making such contact and would comply with bail conditions that prohibit contact with Kathleen Nickerson and her family. But Ackerman said she was concerned that if Markey were to live in New Hampshire, bail conditions could not be enforced across state lines.

In his ruling from the bench, Mitchell said there was no question about whether there was probable cause, given the grand jury indictment and his review of an affidavit filed by Detective Cpl. James Moore of the Maine State Police.

He further sided with prosecutors in denying bail, noting the seriousness of the murder charge and Markey’s attempts at contacting Kathleen Nickerson and her family from jail as potential threats to the integrity of the judicial process.

“I think that there is a real concern there that, if Mr. Markey was released on bail, that he may make further attempts to reach out and contact her,” Mitchell said.

A person charged with murder in Maine has no right to bail if a judge finds there is probable cause the person committed the offense. Although it is rare, a judge may grant bail when there is probable cause for the charge, considering the state’s evidence that the defendant will not appear in court in the future or pose risk to the integrity of the judicial process, will pose a danger to others or will commit new criminal conduct.

Nearly every seat was taken Friday in the smaller of two courtrooms at the Skowhegan District Court. Eight of Christopher Nickerson’s family and friends sat behind the prosecutor’s table, while the three men who are friends of Markey sat behind him and his attorneys.

Markey, shackled and escorted by two transport officers, wore a collared, button-down shirt and dress pants instead of jail clothing, with Mitchell’s permission. 

Herrold briefly mentioned a self-defense argument during the hearing. 

In recent letters to a Morning Sentinel reporter, Markey said he was a victim of “prolonged extreme domestic violence aggravated assault/attempted murder.”

In his letters, Markey has also criticized the judicial system, the Maine attorney general’s office, his attorneys and county jail officials. He has raised some similar issues about the jail and his lawyers in letters addressed to Mitchell, court records show.

Authorities seem to disagree with the idea the shooting was self-defense, although they have not publicly pointed to any clear motive for the killing.

Among the new details included in Moore’s affidavit, filed Thursday, are that investigators believe Christopher Nickerson was shot four times. A reconstruction suggests that the last shot struck him while he was laying on his back.

Investigators also recently obtained Markey’s medical records from the day of the shooting, and noted he suffered no serious injuries.

Otherwise, the affidavit is largely the same as an affidavit Moore filed at the time of Markey’s arrest March 1. 

The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office had initially responded to a report of a shooting at 471 River Road and found a man, later identified as Nickerson, dead, the Maine State Police said previously.

Moore wrote in the affidavits that Kathleen Nickerson told detectives her son and Markey had a verbal and physical scuffle before the alleged shooting.

Kathleen Nickerson told detectives that after the fight, Markey left for a period of time and then returned. When he did, she saw Christopher Nickerson put up his hands and she heard four or five gunshots before he fell to the ground, the affidavits say. She then called 911.

Investigators believe Markey then drove a pickup truck to the Skowhegan municipal building at 225 Water St., where the town’s police department used to be located. Markey turned himself in to Somerset County sheriff’s Deputy Jack LePage.

Markey told LePage that Christopher Nickerson “attacked him and was pounding on him, so he shot him,” Moore wrote.

In an interview at the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, Markey told state police detectives a slightly different version of events than what Kathleen Nickerson said, according to the affidavits.

Markey told detectives that after the initial altercation with Christopher Nickerson, he left and then returned to the home because he wanted to retrieve his belongings from inside before leaving. He said he was not angry with Nickerson, but was embarrassed, according to the affidavit.

“When asked if he was thinking clearly, (Markey) said he did not know,” Moore wrote in the affidavit. “(Markey) stated he grabbed the gun so that (Nickerson) would not ‘finish him off’ and later said he was in fear for his life.”

Markey told detectives he entered the residence and saw Nickerson “charging at him” with his right hand in a fist, but with no weapons. Markey said he then fired the gun twice, before leaving and driving to the old Skowhegan police station on Water Street.