Stabbing over $40 for yard work: Man indicted for attempted murder of brother-in-law
BRENTWOOD — A Raymond man has been indicted this week on an attempted second-degree murder charge and could face life in prison for allegedly stabbing his brother-in-law multiple times over a dispute regarding payment for yard work.
Adrian Demers was arrested April 8 in Brentwood where police say he was working for his brother-in-law doing work at a South Road home. They said Demers used his brother-in-law’s own knife to stab him repeatedly in the head, then stole his Glock 19 and drove away with his car.
Brentwood police said they were called and found the brother-in-law with his face, head, and hands covered in blood. They say they found Demers at another nearby property and arrested him for attempted murder and 11 other charges.
Demers was held without bail at the time of his arrest.
A Rockingham Superior Court grand jury handed up indictments this week that included seven felony charges.
The indictment for attempted second-degree murder states life as its sentence. It alleges Demers stabbed the victim multiple times with a knife “under the circumstances as he believed them to be, constituted a substantial step toward the commission of the crime of second-degree murder.”
He also was indicted on four Class A felony charges of first-degree assault, one for each stab wound to the head. Each charge carries 7½ to 15 years in prison and a $4,000 fine.
Demers faces a Class A felony theft by unauthorized taking of a firearm for taking the Glock, which carries the same penalties as the first-degree assault counts. He also faces a Class B felony charge for criminal threatening, the indictment alleging he pointed the gun at his brother-in-law and yelled “You’re cheating me” or words to that effect.
Attempts to reach Demers' attorney Howard Clayman were unsuccessful. In April, Demers was ordered to undergo a competency evaluation. A hearing was held on the matter July 17.
In July, Judge Andrew Schulman handed down an order that stated both parties agreed Demers was not competent to stand trial. It stated he was "plainly incompetent at the time of his evaluation." However, he continued that Demers might be restored to competency within 12 months through civil commitment and clinical treatment.
Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway could not be reached for comment on whether Demers has since undergone treatment and been determined competent.
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Here’s what led to an altercation between brothers-in-law
The brother-in-law told police Demers attacked him over a pay dispute. He said Demers was going to work the day for $200 but that he wanted to stop early. His brother-in-law said he would pay him $160 instead of the full amount, giving $40 more when he came back.
A police affidavit states Demers became “irate” and tackled his brother-in-law from behind, kicking him on the right side in the ribs and head. The victim went into the fetal position to block the strikes, at which point he said Demers stopped kicking him, the affidavit states.
At that point, the victim said it felt like Demers began hitting him in the head with a brick, according to the affidavit. He was later told by police that he was feeling Demers stabbing him with his own pocketknife that fell out of his pocket. The Glock 19 also fell out of the victim’s waistband where it was in a holster, according to police, at which point Demers allegedly picked it up.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH man indicted for attempted murder for stabbing brother-in-law
