Augusta man pleads guilty, receives sentence for 2023 murder

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) - An Augusta man received his sentence after agreeing to a plea deal Wednesday in relation to a 2023 murder.

Andrew Redmond, 36, was arrested in Mississippi two years ago for the murder of Tyler Robinson, 34, of Augusta, that summer.

According to prosecutors, Robinson went to Redmond’s residence on July 28, 2023 to buy drugs.

Due to personal conflicts, when Robinson arrived, Redmond and others wanted to “ambush” Robinson and beat him up.

When he ran, Redmond told others he shot Robinson.

In Kennebec County Superior Court Wednesday, Redmond accepted a plea deal and will serve 27 years in prison, two years more than the minimum sentence for murder.

The defense says they are “quite proud” of their client.

“Despite a very good case, we could have tried that case, we had a lot of potential defenses,” remarks defense attorney Stephen Smith. “But to his credit, he stepped up, decided to make an example for himself and for his family. We’re really quite optimistic that he’ll have a future.”

Assistant Attorney General Bud Ellis explains that due to the nature of the case, including drug activity and potential witnesses that have issues with the legal system, the plea deal avoids the difficulties of bringing it to trial.

“In the long run, we wanted to secure the conviction and this was the sentence that we were able to agree on,” Ellis comments.