CARIBOU, Maine – A judge has granted an Aroostook County man’s motion to cut short his probation stemming from a manslaughter conviction.
Jonathan Limary, 29, of Presque Isle was sentenced in 2019 to 16 years with all but 45 months suspended and four years of probation in the death of Jean Bragdon in Caribou. Limary was released from prison and began his probation on Jan. 30, 2023.
His clean record since his confinement and release led to the court’s decision to end his probation more than two years early.
“There is no objection from the state, there is no objection from the family members, and due to the exemplary performance of Mr. Limary, his motion is granted,” Superior Court Justice Stephen Nelson said Monday during the hearing in Aroostook Superior Court in Caribou.
A jury found Limary guilty of manslaughter and aggravated assault in 2019, following an October 2017 physical altercation in Caribou.
A social media dispute between several people in Presque Isle and Caribou led to an agreement that they would all meet in a Caribou parking lot to fight. Limary left Presque Isle with a friend to meet the others in Caribou. But as things escalated and more people were arriving, Limary and his friend decided to leave. On their way to their vehicle, Limary saw Bragdon get up on all fours from the altercation and he kicked him in the face, breaking his nose, eye orbits, upper jaw and cheek bones, according to court documents.
Bragdon went to the hospital for treatment and was subsequently released only to return to the hospital later that day. His facial injuries led to two surgeries in November, 2017 and for the procedures a tracheostomy tube was inserted into his throat.
After a Nov. 17 release from the hospital, with the tube removed, Bragdon began bleeding profusely and paramedics were unable to save him.
During his trial and in a subsequent Maine Supreme Court appeal, Limary contended that the surgeries, not the kick to his face, led to Bragdon’s death.
The jury found that Bragdon’s surgeries were to repair injuries from Limary’s kick and that the surgeries would not have occurred but for Limary’s actions.
The supreme court upheld the lower court’s decision.
In Monday’s hearing several people, including co-workers, a supervisor and his probation officer testified to his character, integrity and his performance since the 2017 incident and that he would like to relocate to Mississippi to be with his partner and infant son.
Nelson initially questioned dismissing the probation.
“Three years early?” he asked. “What jumps out at the court is that a couple years early strikes the court as a remarkable ask.”
He was made a trustee in jail and after his release volunteered a minimum of 40 hours a week at transitional housing for homeless veterans, according to his attorney.
“He has demonstrated tremendous growth and maturity since the night in question. Since 2017 he has changed his life for the better,” said his attorney Adam Swanson. “He has become a more positive, more productive, fully committed member of our community.”
The Dept. of Corrections has a software program that accesses probation officers notes and sends notifications about potential probation determination and Limary’s name came up several times, Swanson said.
Assistant Attorney General Katherine Bozeman said that the state did not take a position on the matter.
