Derek Poulin appears in court after murdering his grandmother, Patricia Noel, and burning down her house
The family of an Old Orchard Beach man accused of killing his grandmother is standing by him, the suspect’s lawyer said Tuesday.
Derek Poulin, 23, faces arson and murder charges.
He is accused of murdering 61-year-old Patricia Noel and setting a fire in the bedroom where her body was found by firefighters. He made his initial appearance in the case in York County Superior Court on Tuesday.
“His family is standing behind him. His father, who lost his mother and who is now in the process of losing contact with his son, is behind his son, supports him 100 percent and does not feel that these charges have any basis in fact,” Robert LeBrasseur, Poulin’s court-appointed attorney, said after the proceeding.
Fire fighters were called Noel’s home in the early afternoon of October 23rd. According to a police affidavit, fire crews had to force their way into the home to battle the fire and found Noel lying dead on the floor of her bedroom.
Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s Office were caled in to look into what sparked the blaze and claimed the woman’s life.
An initial examination of Noel’s body by the State Medical Examiner’s Office found the woman had been dead before the fire broke out, and according to the report, later determined she died from “multiple blunt impact injuries to the head, various skull fractures and multiple stab wounds.”
State Police Detectives interviewed Derek Poulin, who lived with his grandmother and father, Reginald Poulin, in the small two story home. According to the affidavit, Derek Poulin reported there had been a history of domestic violence between all three people living in the home, and that his grandmother had slapped him on the face after a recent argument.
Detectives seized Derek Poulin’s car and the clothes he had been wearing on the day of the fire as evidence, and later found blood on his boots and a book of matches in his car that had several matches missing.
Fire investigators determined two fires had been set in the home which ruled out any potential for the fire to have been started accidentally.
I knew this family well, dereks father is my best friend…..the prosecution just put the screws to him….I personally don’t think he did this….there was another story in same time frame when a homless man bludgeoned another old woman not far from where patti lived…..he plead guilty got 20yrs.But not sure if they questioned him? But I’ve known this kid for longtime…his trial was hardly fair…and they never let him talk….he claims innocense…and judge gives him life…..showed no remorse? Why would you show remorse if your innocent…my opinion…but this was all circumstantial…and should be re invesstigated a lot of witnesses for dereks whereabouts and all that…would show an extreme doubt.But weren’t allowed to testify.Including derek himself.I would just like to hear his side.my opinion…as a good friend to this family…including patti she was like a second mother to me.I loved her like my own.