HOPE (AP) – A 23-year-old Hope man made his initial court appearance on a murder charge Thursday amid the release of a court document that quoted him as saying he killed a Waldoboro woman after she made a comment about his ex-fiancee.

Steven Pomeroy entered no plea to the slaying of Jessica Nichols, 22, during a brief session in Knox County Superior Court that was attended by friends and relatives of the suspect and the victim.

In an affidavit filed with the court, police said Pomeroy told investigators that he and Nichols had been drinking and he was angered by her comment after they had gone to his home following a Tuesday night party.

Pomeroy was quoted as saying he hit Nichols over the head with a frying pan and stabbed her repeatedly before cleaning up with Pine-Sol and rags. He then placed her body in the trunk of his car and drove to his parents’ home, where detectives arrived in response to a 911 call from a caller who was not identified in the document.

When police asked Pomeroy what was going on, he stated: “I did something really bad last night,” the affidavit said. Investigators said they opened the trunk and found the woman’s bloody, naked body in a fetal position.

An autopsy on the victim was performed Thursday at the state medical examiner’s office, which said no information on the results were being released.

During his court appearance, Pomeroy was ordered held without bail in the Knox County Jail pending a July 11 bail hearing.

Pomeroy’s lawyer said his client appears to have no criminal record and was scared and confused. Nichols’ friends characterized her as happy and carefree, and said she and Pomeroy were new acquaintances.

AP-ES-07-03-08 1544EDT

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