A Peru man will continue to serve two life sentences in prison, Maine’s highest court decided, after his first sentencing was overturned.
Mark Penley was convicted of two counts of murder in October 2021 after he fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, 31-year-old Heather Bickford of Canton, and her boyfriend, 31-year-old Dana Hill, on Jan. 1, 2019, in South Paris.
He was originally sentenced to serve two concurrent life sentences by an Oxford County judge. Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court vacated the ruling because a judge relied on improper evidence. Penley was then resentenced to two life sentences in July.
After receiving the new sentences, Penley appealed to Maine’s supreme court. The judges affirmed his sentences, saying the lower court was correct, per a decision released Thursday.
Penley killed Bickford so, “no one else could have her,” according to an affidavit. He called 911 to report the deaths, and police found Bickford’s infant and 8-year-old child unharmed.
