PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A man sentenced to 38 years in prison for the killing of his roommate has asked the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to have his sentence reconsidered.
The Portland Press Herald reports (https://bit.ly/1JjMhLy ) Daudoit Butsitsi believes his 2011 conviction in the shooting death of his roommate Serge Mulongo was influenced by ethnic bias.
David Paris, Butsitsi’s attorney, argued his client’s sentence appeared to have been influenced by statements from others in Maine’s Central African immigrant community.
Butsitsi is from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Assistant Attorney General Lauren LaRochelle says Butsitsi’s sentence was based on the fact that he shot his friend six times in front of two witnesses, not his national origin.
The justices are expected to rule on the appeal at a later date.
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Information from: Portland Press Herald, https://www.pressherald.com
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