Woman indicted on felony murder charges for shooting in Winthrop

AUGUSTA — A New York woman arrested in Waterville last month was indicted by a grand jury on felony murder, robbery and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon charges for an alleged robbery at a mobile home in Winthrop last year in which a man was shot and killed.

Kiera Francis, 28, of the Bronx, New York City, was arrested Feb. 8 and charged with felony murder in connection to the death of Joshua Martin, 30, of Winthrop, who previously lived in Rochester, New York.

An indictment made by a Kennebec County Grand Jury last week indicates authorities believe the shooting occurred during a robbery attempt at 54 Squire Hill Court in a mobile home off state Route 133 in Winthrop on Oct. 3 of last year, though the indictment does not state what property was stolen or sought in the incident.

“Kiera Francis was armed with a dangerous weapon, namely a firearm, and used a firearm against a person, namely Joshua Martin, in the course of the robbery … or knew that an accomplice was so armed,” the three-page indictment states.

The firearm was identified as a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson handgun.

A neighbor said in October as police swarmed around the mobile home park, that she and her boyfriend were sitting in their car that Saturday night, parked a few lots away from the home where the shooting took place. She said they saw a car drive slowly into the park and stop at 54 Squire Hill Court, and at least two people got out and went into the home, leaving after between 10 and 20 minutes.

Another neighbor said the home where the shooting took place seemed to have a lot of traffic coming and going in the couple of days before the shooting, including vehicles with out-of-state plates. She said vehicles would stop at the home, but not stay long.

Francis was arrested while she was a passenger in a car that briefly eluded Waterville police Feb. 8, with officers stopping the vehicle at the request of state police, who took Francis into custody. Waterville police arrested the driver, Jonathan Baez, 36, of Waterville, and charged him with eluding an officer, driving to endanger and attaching false plates.

Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey said at the time of the arrest the vehicle initially pulled over when police attempted to stop it on Main Street, but it then drove off and a chase through several streets in Waterville ensued before the vehicle stopped on Cool Street. Another passenger in the car was not charged.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Martin’s death was a homicide in October shortly after it occurred.

Under Maine law, a person is guilty of felony murder if, acting alone or with others persons, the person commits or attempts to commit a felony — murder, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, arson, gross sexual assault or escape — that causes the death of another person.

Felony murder is a class A crime, punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt but indicates there is enough evidence to proceed with formal charges and a trial.

Others indicted by the grand jury last week, in indictments released by the state Attorney General’s Office, include:

• Jeana Fontaine, 36, of Augusta, aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs (Fentanyl powder), and two counts of violation of conditions of release, Aug. 26, 2020, in Augusta.

• Maria Gomez, 30, of Augusta, aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs (cocaine base), Sept. 29, 2020, in Augusta.

• George Jones, 44, of Livermore Falls, unlawful possession of schedule W drugs (Oxycodone), Jan. 15, 2020, in Farmingdale.

• Sarah Jones, 28, of Litchfield, aggravated trafficking in schedule W drugs (cocaine), and unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs (cocaine base), Sept. 29, 2020, in Augusta.

• Joshua Karr, 33, of Clinton, unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs (cocaine), March 3, 2020, in Clinton.

• Kellie Koniak, 34, of Augusta, unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs (cocaine base), Sept. 8, 2020, in Augusta.

• Mark St. Clair, 30, of Gardiner, aggravated trafficking of schedule W drugs (cocaine base), and unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs (cocaine base), Sept. 29, 2020, in Augusta.