CARIBOU (AP) – The trial of an Aroostook County man charged with murdering his father last year is over, but it could be several weeks before a judge issues a written verdict in the case.

Michael D. MacDonald, 27, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of his 58-year-old father, Michael E. MacDonald, in April 2004 in the father’s home in Masardis.

MacDonald is alleged to have shot his father in the face with a 20-gauge shotgun, beat him with the butt of the gun and then stabbed him at least 20 times in the chest and back with a 14-inch kitchen knife.

During the trial that ended Thursday in Aroostook County Superior Court, four psychiatrists and psychologists were called to testify.

Two of them hired by the defense maintained that MacDonald’s mental illness rendered him incapable of knowing what he was doing was wrong. Two others testified for the prosecution that MacDonald was mentally ill, but maintained that he was capable of knowing that what he had done was wrong.

During closing arguments Thursday, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Benson told Justice E. Allen Hunter that there was overwhelming evidence that the murder was premeditated and that the defendant acted knowingly and intentionally and later tried to hide evidence.

“He (MacDonald) did not lack the capacity to know the wrongfulness of his conduct,” Benson said.

Defense attorney Eugene McLaughlin said in his closing argument that the issue was not whether his client killed his father, but how bad his illness was at the time of the killing. He said MacDonald was hearing voices.

“All he had was the voices telling him what to do. Information was not going through his mind correctly that night,” McLaughlin said.

Hunter said there is a lot of information to digest and that it could be several weeks before he issues his verdict.