By Doug Fletcher,Staff Writer

AUBURN – Roger Keene, convicted in June 2005 of manslaughter in the death of Leslie Stasulis, will be sentenced on Feb. 10.

A jury seated at Androscoggin County Superior Court found that Keene, 43, of Litchfield, kidnapped Stasulis in September 2003 from behind her bar, Leslie’s Place, on Lisbon Street in Lewiston.

In connection with the kidnapping Keene admitted to state police investigators that he struck the 42-year-old mother of five, and that she fell against either a wall or rock in the alleyway opening a head wound.

She was later found stretched across the eastbound lane of Route 126 in Sabattus.

While jurors agreed that Keene was guilty of manslaughter and kidnapping, they weren’t able to reach a verdict on a third charge, that of attempted murder.

The state decided not to seek a second trial on the attempted murder charge.

Keene faces up to 30 years in prison for each of the manslaughter and kidnapping convictions.

“I expect the state to ask for a high-end sentence,” said Keene’s lawyer, George Hess.

Hess said he plans to appeal the convictions, citing mistakes made during the trial.

One, he says, was allowing a state police detective to mention during testimony that Keene had been on probation. Jurors aren’t supposed to be aware of a defendant’s criminal history.

The other mistake was allowing a juror to continue to decide the case after it was learned that the juror was friendly with local police officers. The friendship might skew the juror’s impartiality, he claims.

An appeal would have to be filed within 21 days of sentencing. Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese prosecuted the case. Justice Thomas Warren presided over the trial.

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