Man gets 35 years for murder of Corinth man

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff

BANGOR — A man was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder of Dylan Caruso, and a second man pleaded guilty to his role in the Corinth man’s death.

Caruso was killed Sept. 30, 2024, and his body was found Oct. 23, 2024. 

It’s been 687 days since Dylan Caruso last talked to his mother, Danyall Hallett. Instead of hearing her son again say “I love you,” she had to describe who he was to a judge who was sentencing Kenneth Creamer to prison.

Creamer, 37, of Exeter pleaded guilty to intentional or knowing murder, as well as one count each of aggravated trafficking of fentanyl and aggravated trafficking of cocaine on Tuesday, Aug. 18 in Penobscot County Superior Court.

Creamer was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder, as part of a plea agreement with the Office of the Maine Attorney General. He was sentenced to four years for each of the trafficking charges, concurrent with the murder sentence.

Dylan Belanger of Corinth, who was 31 at the time of Caruso’s death, pleaded guilty to one count of hindering apprehension or prosecution and one count of tampering with a witness or informant. A second count is expected to be dismissed at his sentencing.

Belanger’s plea came as part of an agreement as well. The agreement is contingent upon Belanger continuing to cooperate with authorities, including testifying if necessary.

“There is no justice,” Hallett said. “These people continue to live and breathe and speak to friends and family. They continue to move on with their lives and things Dylan will never accomplish.”

Hallett, family and friends cried as she described the family events and memories he’s missed in the nearly two years since he was murdered. 

Five people are charged with various felonies related to 27-year-old Caruso’s death and its alleged cover-up. Three cases are still pending. 

Dylan Boyce is charged with one felony count of intentional or knowing murder and two counts of tampering with a witness or informant. Holden Melvin is charged with one felony count each of felony murder and hindering apprehension or prosecution. Samantha McCullough is charged with one felony count each of hindering apprehension or prosecution and tampering with a witness or informant.

A plea agreement was reached because the state is relying on the believability of codefendants to prove the case, Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Ackerman said. There are credibility issues for McCullough, Belanger and Melvin, which the state would rely on to prove Creamer’s case.

Ackerman said the sentence for Creamer isn’t adequate but was necessary.

Substance use disorder is a common factor among all the defendants, Creamer’s defense attorney Caitlyn Smith said. She described how he started using substances around 13 and lacked family support.

Caruso’s drug use didn’t define him, but it did keep him from family, his brother Lucas Worster said. Worster is now older than Caruso — his oldest brother — was at the time of his death.

“He’s not gone,” Worster said. “They might have taken him but his memory is here, he’s still with us.”

On Sept. 30, 2024, Caruso came to Bangor and asked McCullough if he could stay the night with her at her Ohio Street apartment. She said no because her minor son was staying with her, Ackerman said in detailing what is believed to have happened that night.

Caruso owed money to people from Exeter, McCullough told police. Belanger told police that Caruso was supposed to go to Creamer’s house to pay money he owed for drugs, roughly $600, but Caruso didn’t have the money.

While Belanger was outside the Ohio Street apartment, he saw a car drive by that he knew belonged to Boyce’s girlfriend. Boyce lived in Exeter at the same property as his mother and her boyfriend, Creamer.

Creamer drove the car past the apartment multiple times that night, Belanger told police, but he didn’t expect Creamer to kill Caruso over $600.

Caruso left the Ohio Street apartment and started walking to Coe Park, which abuts Ohio Street. Belanger followed Caruso. Once the two were about halfway through the park, Creamer stopped the car and got out.

Creamer started yelling at Caruso, demanding the money he was owed and Caruso pleaded, saying he would get the money. Creamer then pulled out a black handgun and shot Caruso in the head. 

The gunshot did not immediately kill Caruso, Ackerman said. They dragged Caruso into the trunk of a car and drove him to Exeter, where they dumped him in the woods.

Caruso was still breathing when they opened the trunk, Ackerman said. Boyce then allegedly stabbed Caruso in the back of his head and neck, Ackerman said. She added an autopsy confirmed the stabbing.

Boyce and Creamer also dropped a rock on Caruso’s head and neck area after he was dumped in a ditch, Ackerman said. The rock weighed 172 pounds, police found.

Belanger eventually took police to where Caruso’s body was dumped, Ackerman said.

Belanger’s sentencing will happen after the other cases end. Boyce and Melvin are scheduled for a jury trial in late September.