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BANGOR, Maine (AP) — A Maine man was convicted Friday of using a bogus Facebook profile to lure a 15-year-old girl to her death in a botched plot to look like a hero.
The jury in Penobscot County Superior Court took less than an hour to find Kyle Dube, 21, of Orono, guilty of the kidnapping and murder of high school sophomore Nichole Cable, of Glenburn. Police accused Dube with staging Nichole's kidnapping in May 2013 so he could later rescue her and be hailed as a hero. Instead, she died of asphyxiation and was found after an eight-day search.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Marchese said the swift verdict reflected the "overwhelming" evidence against Dube. She said the jury showed "no pause" in convicting Dube.
"Is there a cautionary tale here? Yes," Marchese said. "It's a cautionary tale to everyone to be careful when you are using social media."
Dube's attorney, Stephen Smith of Bangor, said he would appeal. He maintained throughout the two-week trial that it was possible someone other than his client commited the crimes. Dube did not testify in his defense.
"Not only has Nichole's family lost a daughter, the Dube family has lost a son," Smith told WZON-AM.
A medical examiner determined Cable died from asphyxiation due to compression of the neck. Prosecutor Donald Macomber said during the trial that Dube "grabbed her, choked her" and that "neighbors heard her scream."
The prosecution's case centered on Dube's use of a phony Facebook account to lure Cable out of her home. The profile, under the name of another man who was not involved in Nichole's abduction, was traced back to Dube's home. During testimony, that man told jurors he was aware Dube didn't like him.
DNA evidence also tied Dube to Nichole's disappearance, and several people, including fellow inmates and an ex-girlfriend, testified that Dube confessed to the crime.
Dube told others that he'd intended to abduct Nichole and later come to her rescue, police said. His plan was to kidnap her while wearing a ski mask, return later without the disguise and find her.
He faces 25 years to life in prison for the murder conviction and up to 30 years for the kidnapping conviction. A sentencing date has not been set.
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