A Maine man who admitted to killing a couple in front of two of their children has been sentenced to life in prison.
Twenty-six-year-old Marcel Lagrange Jr. appeared remotely for his sentencing on Thursday, where a judge handed down a life sentence for the murders of 41-year-old Michael Hayter and 37-year-old Brittney Cockrell. He also received an additional 50 years for attempting to kill the couple’s then-11-year-old son, Mason.
Mason and his 7-year-old sister, Maddie, were in the car with their parents on June 19, 2023, when prosecutors say Lagrange launched a deadly attack after becoming enraged over being rejected by a woman.
According to WGME, prosecutor Jennifer Ackerman told the court that after the woman turned him down, Lagrange threatened that “multiple people would die because of what she was doing.” He then waited outside a Portland Pie restaurant before opening fire on Hayter and Cockrell as they sat in their car.
An affidavit revealed harrowing details from the children. Mason told police that the shooter appeared “out of nowhere” and fired at his father, hitting him in the neck. Cockrell tried to run, but was chased down and shot. Maddie told investigators her mother was “running, screaming, and pointing” before collapsing in the parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. Mason said Lagrange also tried to shoot him, but he ducked and avoided being hit.
At sentencing, Cockrell’s father, Jeff McKinney, read a statement from Mason: “There was just enough time so Maddie and I could duck.”
A third child, Cadence, who wasn’t in the car that night, also addressed the court. “He killed my parents,” she said. “And I hope he gets the two life sentences he deserves. No parole for taking my parents, for my siblings having to watch.”
Lagrange expressed remorse, saying he “was not in [his] right mind,” explaining that he had stopped taking medication and was drinking and smoking marijuana. But the judge ultimately handed down a life sentence for each murder and 50 years for the attempted murder of Mason.
Death penalty is the only answer! He deliberately killed the children’s parents! The poor kids have to grow up now without parents. Why should the tax payers pay to feed & cloth that killer for life!
Maybe while in prison he would repent ,find Jesus and turn his life around to become a model citizen
yah, thats going to help the kids see their parents again! How about a rope around his neck so he can meet jesus face to face.