Man nabbed in triple-stabbing Christmas night indicted

Alton Britch (York County Jail photo)

ALFRED, Maine - The man who allegedly walked into the home of distant relatives on West Lebanon Road Christmas night and stabbed three family members has been indicted.
Alton Britch, 44, of Wheelock, Vt., faces three counts of felony aggravated assault with a weapon and three counts of felony reckless conduct with a weapon.
He faces up to 30 years in prison on each count of aggravated assault and five years on each of the reckless conduct counts.
Britch allegedly walked into the home of his cousin, 58-year-old Beverly Duquette of 188 West Lebanon Road a little before 10 p.m. Christmas night, and stabbed her grandson, 18-year old Dominic Small, three times in the back.
Britch also stabbed Duquette's husband, Randall, 54, and her daughter, 39-year-old Anna Malinowski.
During an ensuing struggle police say Britch was hit over the head with a frying pan and subdued. Police say he was being held down when they arrived.
The three were treated for what were described as nonlife-threatening injuries and were treated and released from Frisbie Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
Maine State Trooper James MacDonald said a few days after the incident that family members said they had no idea why Britch had stopped by and that it had been more than two years since they had seen him.
The knife was recovered at the scene, MacDonald said.
A neighbor, who didn't want to have his name used, said the night of the stabbings he saw police interviewing a man who "seemed to be out of it" out on the street for several minutes.
"He didn't seem coherent," the neighbor said.
A spokesman at the York County Jail today said Britch, who had been held on high bail, was no longer there.

The York County grand jury indictments were handed down Wednesday and released today.

An indictment is not an indication of guilt, only that a grand jury has found sufficient evidence to move forward to trial.