Sangerville

Maine’s top court rejects appeal from man convicted of killing girlfriend, toddler

Maine’s highest court has denied another appeal of a Guilford man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend and the toddler she was babysitting.

Jeffrey Cookson sought a new trial for the 1999 killings in Dexter based on a provision of Maine’s DNA statute.

His attorneys argued that a DNA test of hair found on his ex-girlfriend’s hand could exonerate him, but the state supreme court said Feb. 26 it didn’t represent clear and convincing evidence someone else committed the crime. A judge previously said the hair could have come from emergency responders or others who lived in the household.

This was Cookson’s fourth appeal. He’s serving a life sentence for the shooting deaths of 20-year-old Mindy Gould and 21-month-old Treven Cunningham.

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