Pair indicted in Rumford murders

PARIS — A grand jury has indicted two men in two shooting deaths in Rumford last summer.

Eric Hamel, 19, of Mexico Avenue in Mexico, and Richard A. Moulton Jr., 20, of Franklin Street in Rumford, were each charged with two counts of murder. They are accused of killing 22-year-old Victor Reed Sheldon and 48-year-old Roger Leroy Day Jr. at Day's Pine Street residence on Aug. 3.

According to police affidavits, both men have admitted to the crimes.

Sheldon and Day were shot to death in the living room of the residence. Moulton told police that he had also been at the house, but was in the bathroom when he heard three gunshots. A passing resident also heard the shots and saw a man with shoulder-length hair and dark clothing leave the building.

Hamel became a suspect after a series of interviews by police, and told police he had shot the two men. He also said he had buried the handgun used in the crime in a section of woods on Oak Street, a dead-end road about two-tenths of a mile from Day's residence, and police were able to recover the weapon.

Moulton later told police that he had helped plan the murders. He said he and Hamel intended to kill both Sheldon and Day in response to an assault by Sheldon on his estranged girlfriend, who was dating Moulton at the time.

Sheldon, who was staying with Day, was charged with domestic assault against the woman in July of 2008 during an altercation at Moulton's apartment. The charge was dismissed on the day of his murder, one day before he was scheduled to appear in court on it.

mlangeveld@sunjournal.com