AUBURN — A local man charged with two murders in a 2023 Poland slaying is seeking to have a judge toss his statements to police.

Aaron Aldrich Androscoggin County Jail photo

At a hearing Friday in Androscoggin County Superior Court, a lawyer for Aaron Aldrich, 47, cross-examined one of the Maine State Police detectives leading the double-murder investigation into the fatal shootings of Shoeb Mohamed Adan, 21, of Springfield, Massachusetts, and Mohamed Aden, 16, of Lewiston on Feb. 21, 2023.

The two were found dead at a mobile home at 205 Tripp Road in Poland by Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office deputies who had been dispatched to that address for a welfare check.

Aldrich was indicted last year on two counts of intentional or knowing murder, each punishable by 25 years to life in prison.

Major Crimes Unit Detective Justin Huntley and another Maine State Police detective met with Aldrich at a New Hampshire State Police barracks in Bedford, New Hampshire, on Feb. 24, 2023, after Aldrich’s cellphone showed that he was in New Hampshire and he had been identified as a suspect or person of interest.

After introducing themselves to Aldrich, they explained to Aldrich that they were “interested in talking to” him about something police were “working on” in Maine, and were “wondering if (he) would be willing to talk to (them) about (his) whereabouts on a particular day at a particular time,” Thomas Carey, who represents Aldrich, wrote in a motion that quoted from an audio recording provided to the defense by prosecutors.

That 10-minute recording was played in court Friday.

Carey wrote in his motion that the detectives clearly told Aldrich he was “obviously” in police custody at the time they were speaking with him and that Aldrich had outstanding warrants in Maine.

During the interview, the detectives told Aldrich that if he chose to talk to them, he would be read his Miranda rights because he was in custody, Carey wrote.

Aldrich was never read his rights, Carey wrote.

After Aldrich told the detectives he wanted to talk with a lawyer and that he didn’t know what he was being questioned about, the detectives continued talking to Aldrich and told him they were investigating a homicide, Carey wrote.

Aldrich repeated that he wanted to talk to a lawyer and went on to say, “I haven’t killed anybody. I know that,” Carey wrote.

Anything Aldrich told police during that exchange should be barred from trial because he was in custody during the interview, he hadn’t been read his rights and he had “specifically invoked his right to an attorney before detectives continued to speak with him,” Carey wrote.

Detective Huntley testified Friday that he had not asked Aldrich for information about the homicide investigation, but was merely asking Aldrich whether he would be willing to answer questions about it.

If Aldrich had consented to speaking with Huntley and the other detective about the double-murder investigation, Huntley said he would have read Aldrich his Miranda rights before beginning that interview.

“Where you’re in custody, I would read you your rights,” Huntley can be heard saying to Aldrich in the audio recording.

“And then, like I said, all I really wanted to do was just ask you about a particular day, like a particular time, but that’s up to you,” Huntley was heard saying in the recording.

Huntley said he stopped questioning Aldrich after he mentioned speaking with a lawyer again, which Huntley said he understood Aldrich to be invoking his rights.

Huntley testified Friday that Aldrich, who had outstanding warrants unrelated to the Poland homicides, had been under surveillance by New Hampshire police at The Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire.

When New Hampshire police confronted Aldrich in a parking area at the mall, he fled on foot into the mall building, where he was eventually captured, Huntley said Friday.

Justice Jennifer Archer said she planned to rule by Tuesday whether Aldrich’s statements to police would be allowed at trial.

She heard other motions filed by prosecutors and the defense, including whether the identity of a confidential informant would be shared with the defense.

Archer denied that motion.

The case is scheduled to go to trial later next month.