On the afternoon of November 24, 2023, a 911 call brought Biddeford Police to a State Street apartment where they discovered 27-year-old Ahmed Sharif of Lewiston, a male, who had been fatally shot. Responders removed him from the apartment, but he succumbed to his injuries. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta later conducted an autopsy and officially declared Sharif's death a homicide.
The investigation, a collaborative effort involving the Maine State Police, Biddeford
Police, Saco Police, and Old Orchard Beach Police, quickly centered on a suspect. Three days later, on November 27, the Maine State Police Tactical Team and Crisis Negotiation Team arrested 25-year-old Lorenze A. Labonte at his Saco residence. Labonte was subsequently charged with the murder of Ahmed Sharif.
Further details emerged as the case progressed, suggesting a complex and volatile situation leading up to the shooting. Sharif was reportedly staying with his girlfriend, who was Labonte's 18-year-old sister, Ariana Tito, at the apartment where the shooting occurred. Prosecutors suggested Labonte was angry that Sharif was spending time with his sister and that the two men had a dispute on the morning of the shooting. An affidavit also revealed that Labonte was allegedly upset about Sharif providing drugs to his sister. Additionally, there were claims that Labonte believed Sharif was connected to the drug overdose death of a friend's sister.
Lorenze Labonte pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, and witness tampering. The case was further complicated when, just days after Sharif's death, Labonte's sister, Ariana Tito, was arrested for allegedly shooting Labonte's fiancée. Following a jury trial, Lorenze Labonte was convicted of murdering Ahmed Sharif and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution for Sharif's funeral costs.
