PORTLAND (AP) – The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Monday upheld the double murder conviction of a New Gloucester man.

Jeffrey Cookson, 40, was convicted two years ago of killing his former girlfriend Mindy Gould, 20, and 21-month-old Treven Cunningham, whom she was baby-sitting at the time. Cookson was given consecutive life sentences for the Dec. 3, 1999 killings.

Cookson appealed the sentence, saying he was entitled to a new trial for a number of reasons, including that another person confessed to committing the murders. He contended faulty testimony from a firearms expert denied him due process, and that testimony from a nurse practitioner was not relevant and that she was not qualified. The nurse practitioner testified that Gould told her Cookson was stalking her.

He also appealed the imposition of two consecutive life sentences, saying the court abused its discretion. The authorized range of a murder sentence is 25 years to life.

But the court rejected those arguments and affirmed his conviction and sentence.

“There can be no doubt that Cookson’s conduct and method in murdering both Gould and Treven was unusually serious … the extreme cruelty; the planning; the execution nature of the murders; Cookson’s stalking of Gould; and his history of domestic abuse,” the court wrote. Cookson was convicted in December 2001 following a two-week trial and 13 hours of deliberations.

Gould’s family and friends said Gould had left Cookson and that he was stalking her. Gould had obtained a protection from abuse order just days before her death.

Cookson, formerly of Guilford, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. After his conviction, Cookson’s lawyer said that another man had confessed to the crimes.

David Vantol, 22, told Cookson’s attorney that he had killed Gould and the child. But defense attorneys did not reveal that confession until Cookson was convicted.

Vantol also produced the murder weapon, which was hidden under a rock down the road from the Dover-Foxcroft home of Cookson’s brother.

Vantol later recanted his confession, saying that Cookson had promised him money for the confession. He said Cookson had told him details of the murders and the location of the gun.

AP-ES-12-01-03 1149EST