By Daymond Steer
THE CONWAY DAILY SUN
JACKSON — A 23-year-old Jackson woman died of her injuries Dec. 2 after allegedly being shot in the head by a 21-year-old Jackson man, who apparently moved there from Portsmouth.
Jackson police responded at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 30 to a report of a gunshot injury at the Dana Place Apartments on Route 16 north of Jackson Village.
The initial investigation showed the woman later identified as Esmae Doucette of Jackson was seriously injured. Aid was rendered at the scene. She was transported to Memorial Hospital in North Conway. She died on Friday.
Investigation by Jackson police, the Carroll County Attorney’s Office, New Hampshire State Police and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, resulted in the arrest of Brandon Mitchell, 21, of Jackson.
Those charges escalated to murder over the weekend, according to Attorney General John M. Formella, State Police Col. Nathan Noyes and Jackson Police Chief Chris Perley.
“As a result of the investigation into the circumstances of the shooting of Ms. Doucette, an arrest warrant was obtained charging Mr. Mitchell with one charge of Second Degree Murder, contrary to New Hampshire RSA 630:1-b, I(b),” stated a press release Saturday.
“Mr. Mitchell is alleged to have recklessly caused the death of Ms. Doucette under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life, by shooting Ms. Doucette with a firearm,” the press release said.
If convicted, Mitchell faces life in prison.
Mitchell is being represented by Jesse Friedman and Allison Schwartz of Friedman & Bresaw, in Meredith. Though paperwork filed by his attorneys, Mitchell pleaded not guilty to murder on Monday.
On Saturday, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Mitchell Weinberg determined that the cause of Doucette’s death was a gunshot wound to the head and that the manner of her death was homicide.
Mitchell is being held at the Carroll County Jail on preventative detention. Mitchell has the right to a bail hearing.
According to his bail pre-release questionnaire, filled out before the charges were escalated to murder from first-degree asssault, Mitchell said he has been a resident of New Hampshire for 12 years. He said he had worked for Vail Resorts part-time for one year and prior to that had worked at Grill 28 for two years. Grill 28 is a restaurant at Pease Golf Course in Portsmouth, according to peasegolf.com.
According to his paperwork, Mitchell is 5-foot-9, weighs 145 pounds and has blue eyes and brown hair. His date of birth is listed as Sept. 5, 2001.
Court paperwork filed by Assistant Attorney General Scott D. Chase says the state seeks an extension on its deadline for discovery from 10 days to 60 days.
“In light of the magnitude of the instant case — as it involves allegations of domestic violence related second degree murder — the state anticipates a vast quality of evidence will be collected an analyzed,” said Chase, adding that a 10-day deadline would put an undue burden on the state.
“Rushing a homicide investigation into a 10-day time frame is contrary to the interests of justice,” Chase said.
The law says a judge can either set a new deadline for discovery or in the event the discovery hasn’t provided on time and there has been no indictment, a judge must schedule a probable cause hearing, according to RSA 592-B:6.
Probable cause statements, in this case in which investigators provide details of the case, was sealed and unavailable through the New Hampshire Judicial Branch kiosk.
Prior to Doucette’s death, Mitchell had been charged with domestic violence-first degree assault and domestic violence-involving the use of a firearm.
The charges filed by the county attorney’s office will be dropped because they have been replaced by the murder charge.
The original criminal complaints filed by County Attorney Michaela Andruzzi said Mitchell and “E.D.” were was intimate partners, family or household members.
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