Probable cause hearing waived in murder case

Zachary D.J. Pinette

DOVER, N.H. - The attorney for one of the defendants accused in the killing of a Madbury teenager has filed to waive his client’s scheduled probable cause hearing on Monday in Dover District Court.

The law firm of Sandperil & Welsh of New Hampshire recently filed to waive the hearing on behalf of accused killer Zachary D.J. Pinette, which would allow his first-degree murder charge to be bound over to Strafford County Superior Court for possible indictment and trial.

Pinette, 18, of 5B Rankin St., Sprinvale, Maine, along with Tristan Wolusky, 18, of 46 Lowell St., Rochester, and Michael Tatum, 21, of 236 Young Road, Barrington, N.H., were charged on June 26 in the killing of Aaron Wilkinson, 18, of Madbury, N.H.

The trio are alleged to have driven from Maine to Madbury and killed Wilkinson somewhere on the property of his 36 Evans Road home by stabbing him with knives and a machete sometime around 1:30 a.m. on June 21.

They are later that day alleged to have dumped his body on Long Swamp Road in Lebanon where it was found.

Arrest affidavits in the case remain sealed.

Permission to waive the probable cause hearing had not been approved as of this morning by Dover District Court judge, but they normally are.

Attorneys for the other two defendants could ask to waive their probable cause hearing as late as Monday morning.