Justin Butterfield, 34, is charged with the murder of his brother, Gabe Damour, 38, on Thanksgiving morning in Poland, but Butterfield’s ex-girlfriend says the man who allegedly committed the crime is not the one she once knew “I don’t really think Justin was responsible for this,” said Yaicha Provencher, Butterfield’s ex-girlfriend. “I know his physical body did but his spirit wasn’t there.” Provencher says she dated Butterfield from 2010 to 2018. The couple had one child together. “He was really goofy and really funny,” Provincher recalled of Butterfield. “He was really good at making people laugh. He was a really good dad to his son.” “He started getting really paranoid and telling me that cars were following him and he started writing license plates,” Provincher said. “It kind of progressed from there.” Provincher says Butterfield’s condition has worsened further due to pandemic isolation. “The very first time I started noticing he was showing signs of hallucinating, I called the police,” Provincher said. “I called the police to see if they could take him to the hospital, and I was told outright they didn’t believe me and he was fine. They said, ‘He answers what day one is. He answers by name. “Earlier this year, Butterfield led police on a chase in Bath which Provincher says ended with him submerged in freezing water. Despite what she says, dozens of run-ins with law enforcement and at least five hospital visits in the past year, she says. neither law enforcement nor health care workers believed he posed a danger to himself or others. originally called me and told me they were going to hold him against his will. The next day, I received a phone call, again from the same woman, telling me that he was going to be released. I begged them to keep him and told that social worker he was going to kill someone, and that was up to you. And she knows who she is. And she said, ‘Well, I hope not.’ And I said, “It’s going to happen. long term and really showed that he had progressed before he was released,” Provincher said. “And I think those who didn’t give him what he needed or didn’t listen to the people who knew him best and kept him here in society have to be held with some sort of responsibility.” Provincher says she is speaking out to raise awareness of the lack of mental health care for people like Butterfield.”I think we really need to look within ourselves and our system and figure out how we can best serve these types of situations,” Provincher said. “Because at the moment we are not. And now me and my children have the rest of our lives to deal with this. Butterfield is currently being held in the Androscoggin County Jail without bond. He faces murder charges.
Justin Butterfield, 34, is charged with the murder of his brother, Gabe Damour, 38, on Thanksgiving morning in Poland, but Butterfield’s ex-girlfriend says the man who allegedly committed the crime is not the one she once knew.
“I don’t really think Justin is responsible for this,” said Yaicha Provencher, Butterfield’s ex-girlfriend. “I know his physical body did but his spirit wasn’t there.”
Provencher says she dated Butterfield from 2010 to 2018. The couple had one child together.
“He was really goofy and really funny,” Provincher recalled of Butterfield. “He was really good at making people laugh. He was a really good dad to his son.”
In 2018, Provincher says Butterfield got worse after a doctor prescribed her Adderall, which she says exacerbated her schizophrenia.
“He started getting really paranoid and telling me that cars were following him and he started writing license plates,” Provincher said. “It kind of progressed from there.”
Provincher says Butterfield’s condition has worsened further due to pandemic isolation.
“The very first time I started noticing he was showing signs of hallucinating, I called the police,” Provincher said. “I called the police to see if they could take him to the hospital, and I was told outright they didn’t believe me and he was fine. They said, ‘He answers what day one is. He responds by name.’
Earlier this year, Butterfield led police on a chase in Bath which Provincher said ended with him submerged in freezing water. Despite what she says have been dozens of run-ins with law enforcement and at least five hospital visits over the past year, she says neither law enforcement nor community workers health did not think he was a danger to himself or others.
“The only person I could speak to was the social worker at Midcoast Hospital,” Provincher said, referring to the aftermath of the Bath incident. “Initially, she called me and told me that they were going to keep him against his will. The next day, I received a phone call, again from the same woman, telling me that he was going to be released. I begged them to keep it and I said this social worker, he’s gonna kill somebody, and it’ll be on you. And she knows who she is. And she said, “Well, I hope no.” And I said, ‘It’s going to happen.'”
Provincher says if law enforcement and healthcare workers had believed the repeated warnings from herself and her friends that the tragedy would have been averted.
“What should have happened is that he should have stayed in a long-term facility and really showed that he had progressed before he was released,” Provincher said. “And I think those who didn’t give him what he needed or who didn’t listen to the people who knew him best and kept him here in society have to be held accountable.”
Provincher says she is speaking out to raise awareness about the lack of mental health care for people like Butterfield.
“I think we really need to look within ourselves and our system and figure out how we can best serve these types of situations,” Provincher said. “Because right now we’re not. And now me and my kids have the rest of our lives to deal with that.”
Butterfield is currently being held in the Androscoggin County Jail without bond. He faces murder charges.
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