of credit card purchases from Newark NJ to ort Lauderdale la and Montreal were made on Nixon’s credit cards in the days following Nixon’s death In Wright’s closing arguments he highlighted the testimony of a witness who said Curtis told him that Nixon was the cause of his anger -evidence that defense attorneys had ' previously tried to suppress The defense did not call any tion Also he pointed to Curtis’ lack of remorse for the murder in the days after it happened “I’m more impressed by your laughing at David Nixon’s sister when she told you (on the phone in the days following Nixon’s death)her brother was dead” than “by your 'remorse today” Brodrick said Boone had requested that Curtis be given a sentence of between 25 and 50 years in prison Portland attorney Christopher Dilworth Curtis other : lawyer said after the hearing that the sentence “was about as lenient as could be expected” Wright who had requested a sentence of more than 50 years in prison said afterward “I can’t quarrel with what he (Brodrick) did given the circumstances” Nixon’s mother who attended the hearing declined to comment on the sentence During the four-day trial in ebruary Wright presented witnesses who saw Curtis with the Curtis gets 40 years for killing his friend By JONATHAN GOULD Staff Writer ALRED — Justice William Brodrick sentenced Dean Alton Curtis to 40 years in prison without chance for parole this morning in York County Court House Curtis a Kittery native who grew up in Bangor was convicted eb 23 of killing his homosexual friend David J Nixon 30 of Naugatuck Conn whose body was found on Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport last June 9 His body with four stab wounds to the back was found wrapped in a blanket and lying in shallow water not far from his family’s cottage Curtis met with his two court-appointed attorneys after the decision was given and decided he would not appeal the sentence or the conviction according to one of those attorneys James Boone of Saco Boone said that Curtis has 20 days in which to change his mind Curtis is also charged with murder in the stabbing of a customs officer c found dead July 5 in Toronto Assis- victim the night before Nixon’s body tant Attorney General Eric Wright was found Wright proved that a trail said after the sentencing hearing that he will inform Canadian officials of today’s sentence Wright said he expects that Curtis will be extradited to stand trial there Brodrick handed down the sentence which could have ranged from 25 years to life in prison after Curtis told the court he was sorry he had committed the crime in a sobbing three-minute speech “I really really hurt inside” Curtis said struggling to get the1 witnesses In closing statements words out rm sorry about the pain words out “I’m sorry about die pain Boone did not dispute that Curtis was I’ve caused the Nixon family” he with Nixon the night of the murder said dressed in sneakers jeans a or that Curtis later used Nixon’s white dress shirt and a tie ' credit cards Brodrick said he did not take into "“But to drawthe 1 inference that ' consideration Curtis’ pending Can- Dean Curtis killed David Nixon you adian murder charge when he de- need some additional evidence’’ termined the sentence Brodrick ® Boone told the jury Also Boone cited Curtis’ history of felonies at argued that the knife used to kill least three of them and of his poor Nixon was not found among Curtis’ chance for psychological rehabilita- possessions