1 pleads guilty, 1 awaits trial in 2016 armed robberies

Cori-Lynn and Rian Luther (Rochester Police photo)

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DOVER - A Rochester couple indicted in a pair of violent armed robberies that occurred on consecutive nights last spring saw their cases move forward on Monday in Strafford County Superior Court.

Police say Rian Luther, 33, and his wife, Cory-Lynn Luther, 27, both of 34 Chestnut St., Rochester, along with two others committed the robberies in an attempt to steal drugs on May 21 and May 22 of last year.

On Monday, Cory-Lynn Luther pleaded guilty to felony counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and falsifying physical evidence, Assistant County Attorney Tim Sullivan said today.

She is expected to return for sentencing in September.

Meanwhile, Rian Luther had his final pretrial on Monday, setting the stage for a jury trial to get under way on June 20.

He faces multiple Class A and B felonies on charges consolidated from both incidents, including conspiracy to commit robbery, armed robbery, first-degree assault, criminal restraint and falsifying physical evidence.

The other two charged with taking part are Jacob Barrett-Carr, 23, of Somersworth, and Amber Glennon, 22, of 61 Hanson St., Rochester.

Rian Luther raised eyebrows in February after he agreed to plea deals three times in two weeks only to renege on each agreement when he showed up for the hearing in court.

After the third failed attempt at a plea agreement, a visibly annoyed Judge Mark E. Howard told him flatly, "No more plea deals."

The May 21 attack occurred at the Sunset Motel, where it was alleged that the four did act in commission of the crime when they did at least one or all of the following:

• Obtained two BB guns that looked to be real guns
• Obtained masks to wear during the offense
• Obtained info as to location of drugs that were the target of the robbery
• Drove to the Sunset Village Motel on Milton Road in Rochester
• Assaulted a male and threatened a female inside a motel room.

Specifically, Barrett-Carr is alleged to have put a gun to the groin area of the male victim while threatening both, while Rian Luther is alleged to have hit the male victim in the head.

The home invasion at the motel occurred around 4:45 a.m.

The next morning around 2:10 a.m. Rochester Police responded to 30 Front St. for another home invasion in which a male was attacked and beaten with a baseball bat while inside his home.

Upon police arriving on scene they were able to learn the victim had been home when two males entered his residence one striking the victim in the head with a bat and the other pointing a handgun at him. The victim was able to escape from his residence and call 911 as the suspects fled. The victim was transported to Frisbie Memorial hospital for non-life threatening injuries by EMS.

Rian Luther faces a 60-year maximum sentence, while Cory-Lynn Luther faces up to 10½ years.

Glennon has a final pretrial next week on two burglary charges, two robbery charges and one conspiracy to commit robbery charge, while Barrett-Carr pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to three to eight years in prison.