A Bangor man arrested for murder last Friday is accused of killing a person described as his close friend.
Gary Brinson, 69, is accused of killing Lee Ruona, 64, on Dec. 4, at Brinson’s apartment on Union Street. Ruona’s cause of death was sharp force injuries and blunt force trauma, according to the Office of the Maine Medical Examiner.
Brinson had his first appearance Monday in Penobscot County Superior Court where he was charged with intentional or knowing murder. He did not enter a plea during the hearing, which is standard procedure in felony cases. The Class A charge will be presented to a grand jury that will decide whether or not to indict him.
A probable cause affidavit from the Bangor police provides the first public description about what may have happened in Ruona’s death and the relationship between him and Brinson.
Brinson called police at 9:57 a.m., Dec. 4, to report Ruona’s death. That day, police asked Brinson if he killed Ruona, to which he responded, “why would I kill my best-friend,” according to the affidavit.
During an interview Dec. 5, police asked Brinson if it was accurate that he could not remember what happened but believed he was responsible for Ruona’s death, the affidavit said.
“Gary stated that he understood that he was responsible for Lee’s death,” the affidavit said.
Brinson then declined to continue talking to police.
When police arrived at Brinson’s apartment Dec. 4, he was sitting in a chair, drinking bourbon and watching TV. Ruona was deceased about 3 feet away, facedown at the foot of the bed, the affidavit said.
There was blood on Ruona’s body, a pool of blood on the floor and blood smeared on the wall, according to the affidavit. There was also a bloody shoe print heading to the door.
Brinson and Ruona are both military combat veterans with PTSD, Brinson told police. They lived in the same apartment building but in different units. Ruona would come over to Brinson’s unlocked apartment and the two would drink alcohol and watch TV, he said.
On Dec. 3, the two of them drank roughly a total of one and a half gallons of alcohol and 26 beers while watching TV until around 9 p.m. At that point, Ruona said he was leaving Brinson’s apartment, according to the affidavit.
Brinson told police he went to bed and was woken up about 30 minutes later when Ruona returned. Brinson said he assumed Ruona was grabbing a bottle of alcohol he left behind.
Brinson later told police he thought Ruona was stealing Brinson’s pocketknife collection, so he slapped him across the face, the affidavit said.
There were red and brown stains on the pants and shirt Brinson was wearing, as well as on the handle, shaft and base of a walking cane in the apartment, according to the affidavit. Brinson told police he needs a cane to walk and a Bangor Daily News reporter saw him use a cane during a video hearing in court on Monday.
Red and brown stains were also found on a pocket knife in Brinson’s apartment. He told police there were four knives on the bed that he moved so they did not think he killed Ruona, the affidavit said.
Police had responded to Brinson’s apartment five times during the last year because Ruona had refused to leave when Brinson wanted him to, according to the affidavit. Last December, Ruona told police his “war flashbacks” are worse when he drinks.
On Dec. 4, Brinson sent a message to his adult daughter that said in part, “I beat the shit out of my Lee,” according to the message she showed police. She said Brinson had recently been diagnosed with lung and colon cancer.
Brinson was denied bail and is in the Penobscot County Jail. He is scheduled for a bail hearing Jan. 22.
