LEWISTON – Standing outside on the lawn, Scott Poirier shot his father in the neck with a rifle Wednesday night as the family sat at the dinner table celebrating the older man’s 65th birthday, according to a police affidavit.

Police said the 34-year-old confessed to shooting Roland “Jerry” Poirier as the elder man sat with several other people at the dining room table of his 302 Grove St. home.

Police on Thursday were not discussing a motive in the slaying.

Scott Poirier stood outside in the yard and fired through a window, striking his father as he sat at the head of the table, according to the affidavit. The bullet struck a bottle of wine before hitting Roland Poirier, causing brief confusion as the wine bottle exploded.

It wasn’t until police arrived and spotted a bullet hole in a sliding glass door that the family realized Roland Poirier had been shot, according to the affidavit. Police said there were at least a dozen people, including children, inside the house when the shot was fired.

Wednesday was Roland Poirier’s 65th birthday. The party at his home was in his honor.

Scott Poirier has been charged with one count of murder and appeared in Androscoggin County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon. He was ordered held without bail pending a hearing scheduled Nov. 17.

Police, meanwhile, were still interviewing witnesses as their investigation continued.

A woman who lives near the Poirier home said she drove up on the scene Wednesday night and knew immediately that something tragic had occurred.

“All you could hear was this ungodly screaming,” the woman said, declining to provide her name. “It was blood curdling. It was hysterical screaming and it was the voice of a woman.”

Moments later, she saw two police officers leading a man in handcuffs down a walkway in front of the house. The man’s face was partially hidden by the hood of a sweatshirt, and he did not appear to be resisting, she said.

Scott Poirier was questioned at the Police Department before he was charged with murder at about midnight.

He reportedly told police he hid the gun – a .270-caliber rifle with a scope – next to his sister’s home at 308 Grove St. after firing the fatal shot. At the time of Poirier’s arrest, he had a live .270-caliber round in his pocket, according to the affidavit.

Police recovered the rifle shortly after Poirier was taken into custody. Two live .270-caliber rounds were found on the ground outside Roland Poirier’s home and others were found on the seat of Scott Poirier’s pickup truck, police said.

According to family friends, Scott Poirier had been with his roommate at his Davis Street home in Sabattus earlier Wednesday night. He left saying he was going to his father’s house in Lewiston sometime around 7 p.m.

At about 7:50 p.m., police dispatchers were called by someone claiming a shot had been fired on Grove Street. The caller said the sound may have been caused by an exploding wine bottle. But when police went to Poirier’s home, they found the senior Poirier bleeding to death.

While police and paramedics tried to save Poirier, Sgt. Danny LaChance spotted the bullet hole in a window facing the dining room table, according to the affidavit. LaChance went outside where he found Scott Poirier in the driveway. Police said the younger Poirier identified himself as the man who shot his father and directed them to the gun.

In 1981, Roland Poirier took over L.P. Poirier & Co., the excavating, lawn and paving business started in 1943 by his father Lionel, who died earlier this year. Roland named the business L.P. Poirier & Son and placed his sons, Scott and Ray, in charge of the company.

Ray was at the home when his father was shot and killed.

A worker at the excavating company declined comment on Thursday.

Scott Poirier has four young sons, the oldest being 6-year-old twins. He was married in 1996 and divorced in 2003, according to court records.

At his initial court appearance Thursday, Poirier looked broken. His shoulders slumped, the accused killer answered quietly as Justice Ellen Gorman asked him if he’d been informed of his rights.

Poirier is being held at Androscoggin County Jail. Over the objections of his attorney, Kelly McMorran, the state requested that he submit to a psychiatric examination.

Why?

“Just read the affidavit,” said Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese. “He admits to shooting his dad.”

Also on Thursday, police searched a vehicle and a residence as part of the investigation. It was not revealed what they were looking for or what was found in the searches.