Judge denies defense motion to dismiss following completion of state's case

Double-murder suspect Timothy Verrill looks back into the back of the courtroom moments after a short recess was called during testimony on Friday. (Court TV screenshot)

DOVER - The judge overseeing the Timothy Verrill double-murder trial rejected the defese's motion to dismiss the case, citing "circumstantial evidence that the jury could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt .that the defendant was the perpetrator of the murders."
Defense lawyer Julia Nye in her motion to dismiss told Judge Mark E. Howard that physical evidence linking Verrill was scant.
"There's no weapons with his DNA, there's no fingerprints directly linking Mr. Verrill to stabbing and attacking someone with a blunt instrument." Nye asserted. "And there's no motive."
Assistant Attorney General Peter Hinckley, the lead prosecutor in the case, rejected Nye's assertions stating, "We have established proof beyond a reasonable doubt."
Howard agreed, saying, "There is circumstantial evidence that the jury could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Verrill was the perpetrator of the murders. There was substantial evidence that he was the only person at the house, was familiar with the house, and there is evidence that after the homicides allegedly occurred that he gathered up cleaning materials and other material to try to cover his tracks so to speak."
Howard also said that days after the killings Verrill fled police who were responding to his brother's house and changed license plates when he left in his girlfriend's vehicle.
Howard also noted the presence of a white cap of Verrill's "that is clearly his" had stains on it from "blood sourced from Christine Sullivan."
Verrill, 41, formerly of Dover, is charged in the Jan. 27, 2017, killing of Christine Sullivan, 48, of Farmington; and Jenna Pellegrini, 32, of Barrington. Both were found dead of multiple stab wounds.
The women's bodes were found wrapped in a tarp under a stairwell leading to an upstairs hot tub porch at 979 Meaderboro Road in Farmington on Jan. 29, 2017, two days after the state alleges Verrill stabbed them both to death.

The defense will present the bulk of its case on Tuesday, with so far, no mention of whether Verrill will testify on his own behalf.

While there will be no testimony on Monday, a charging conference will be held via Webex at 12:30 p.m.

A charging conference is held so the judge and lawyers from both sides can discuss and create instructions for the jury prior to the start of deliberations.

Verrill has been incarcerated since February 2017 when he was arrested in Massachusetts. His first trial in 2019 ended in a mistrial after it was learned the New Hampshire State Police Major Crimes Unit had failed to turn over massive amounts of evidence, some of which was exculpatory, meaning it may have benefited the defense.
Verrill is charged with second degree murder in the women's deaths and faces life in prison if convicted.