In the early morning hours of April 26, 2022, a report of an argument followed by the sound of gunshots drew Portland police to the 100 block of Woodford Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered two individuals in the roadway with gunshot wounds. One of the victims was Derald Darry Coffin, a 43-year-old Caucasian male from West Bath. He was transported to Maine Medical Center, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
A 27-year-old woman who was with Coffin was also shot, but her injuries were not life-threatening.
Derald, known to his loved ones as "Darry," was a father who, despite struggles with substance use, was described as a hard worker with plans to return to the Midcoast area to start fresh. He had been in Portland for about a month before the fatal encounter. The incident that led to his death was a robbery that turned violent. Coffin and his companion, Annabelle Hartnett, were confronted by a group of men who pulled Coffin from a vehicle, assaulted him, and demanded drugs and money. It was during this confrontation that one of the assailants produced a gun and shot both Coffin and Hartnett.
An extensive investigation by the Portland Police Department led to the identification and arrest of four suspects. Damion Butterfield, 22, of Saco, was charged with murder. Thomas M. MacDonald, 44, of Westbrook, and Anthony L. Osborne, 45, of Standish, were both charged with felony murder, a charge used when a death occurs during the commission of another serious crime. A fourth man, Jonathan Geisinger, was also charged in connection with the crime.
The legal process brought a measure of resolution, though not without frustration for Coffin's family over the pace of the proceedings. Damion Butterfield, identified by prosecutors as the shooter, entered a last-minute guilty plea during his trial and was sentenced to 35 years in prison for murder, attempted murder, and robbery. Anthony Osborne, who was accused of orchestrating the robbery, received an eight-year prison sentence. Thomas MacDonald pleaded guilty to hindering apprehension and testified against Butterfield. The case against Jonathan Geisinger was still pending, with his trial having been postponed.
