In the early morning hours of June 17, 2017, James Haskell, a 41-year-old Caucasian male, was shot and killed outside a residence in West Gardiner, Maine. The incident occurred on Yeaton Drive, where a number of people had gathered. Kennebec County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call from the home at approximately 2:45 a.m. and found Haskell deceased upon their arrival. There was no indication that the shooting was a suicide.
An autopsy later confirmed that Haskell died from gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and abdomen.
Initially, no charges were filed as Maine State Police investigated the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Police interviewed several individuals who were at the party, including the person who fired the shots, and all were said to be cooperating with the investigation. For more than two months, the case remained under investigation. Then, a grand jury indicted Derrick Dupont of West Gardiner in connection with Haskell's death. Dupont was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and manslaughter.
Derrick Dupont, 28 at the time of sentencing, claimed he acted in self-defense, stating he feared for his life and the lives of others in his family's home. According to court proceedings, Haskell had been asked to leave the residence earlier in the evening but later returned and was pounding on the door. Dupont shot Haskell eight times, with the final shot being to Haskell's temple after he was already on the ground. In May 2019, Dupont was sentenced to 10 years in prison on a manslaughter charge. The judge acknowledged that Dupont may have genuinely felt fear but that it did not justify the use of deadly force.
James Haskell, who was most recently from Chelsea and had lived in other locations in the Augusta area, had a significant criminal history in Maine dating back to 1994. His stepmother stated that he had struggled with drugs, legal issues, and mental illness but had been trying to turn his life around. He was remembered by his family as someone who enjoyed camping, fishing, and sports, and who was loved for his constant smiling and laughing.
