Stephen Francis Killam Jr., a 47-year-old man from Fairfield, Maine, was known to have a very big heart. The oldest of five children, he loved being with his family and friends and was always ready to lend a hand to those in need. His life was cut short in the early morning of Tuesday, October 15, 2024, in Waterville.
Around 6:30 a.m., Waterville police responded to reports of multiple gunshots in the parking lot of Mount Joseph at Waterville, a rehabilitation and nursing facility on
Highwood Street. There, they discovered Stephen Killam, a White/Caucasian male, deceased inside a vehicle. As a precaution, local schools were placed on a temporary lockout until authorities determined there was no further threat to the public.
Witnesses at the scene provided a crucial lead, telling investigators they saw a black Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck leaving the area and giving officers its license plate number. An alert was issued to area police agencies. Just before 9:00 a.m., Clinton Police Chief Rusty Bell located the truck in the nearby town of Clinton and detained its driver, 53-year-old Richard Hatt. Hatt, a Clinton resident, was arrested and charged with murder.
Investigators confirmed that Hatt and Killam were acquainted. During a bail hearing in November 2024, attorneys revealed that Hatt believed Killam was having an affair with his girlfriend, a theory Hatt’s own lawyers described as delusional. It was also alleged that just hours before the shooting, Hatt had broken into an apartment on Winter Street and assaulted a man he mistakenly believed was Killam.
Hatt was taken to the Kennebec County Jail, where a judge later denied him bail. On Thursday, July 11, 2025, Richard Hatt appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, burglary, assault, criminal threatening, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. If convicted of murder, he could face up to life in prison. The case was proceeding through the court system as of July 2025.
