Man guilty in Frisbie guard's death gets suspended sentence for meth possession

Tyler Thurston pleaded guilty in the killing during a sentencing hearing on Sept. 30, 2021, in Strafford Superior Court. (Rochester Voice photo)

DOVER - A New Durham man sentenced in the 2020 death of a Frisbie Memorial Hospital security guard pleaded guilty to meth possession on Tuesday at Strafford Superior Court.
Tyler Thurston, 32, was sentenced to six months all suspended for two years. He must also comply with his continued treatment plan, be of good behavior and continue with his current parole supervision, according to Assistant County Attorney Samantha Kotusky, who prosecuted the case.
"He already served a six-month parole setback for the (meth) conduct," Kotusky noted.
Thurston pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2021, to negligent homicide in the killing of hospital guard and former Marine Richard Semo, 64, of Farmington.
Thurston's 2½-year sentence in the death of Semo was worked out in a settlement agreement reached between the Semo and Thurston families.
Semo was severely injured during a confrontation with Thurston in the hospital parking lot around 3:20 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2020.
During an April explanation of why he had urged no jail time for his client defense counsel Carl J. Swenson said Thurston had been released from a prison hospital just 24 hours before the deadly encounter and had sought mental health services on seven occasions in the four months leading up to the attack.
Former Strafford County Attorney Tom Velardi, who helped the parties with the completion of the settlement agreement, said that the tragic encounter with Semo occurred after it appeared Thurston had been sent to Frisbie by Rochester Police.
Velardi said that after Thurston arrived hospital staff observed that he was making no sense and was angry that someone had told him to put on a mask.
He then apparently went out into the parking lot and quickly became confrontational with another security guard, Velardi said, before Semo came onto the scene and took over while the other guard went back inside.
When personnel returned to the parking lot they found Thurston sitting on a fence and Semo in an out of consciousness with a severe head wound thought to have occurred after he was struck by Thurston and hit his head on the pavement as he fell.
Velardi, who worked quietly with the parties to piece together the settlement agreement, said both families wanted to avoid a painful trial and were pleased with the agreement that allowed them some closure.
Thurston had faced a 15-30 year prison sentence if convicted of manslaughter, but the charges were reduced to negligent homicide as part of the agreement.