A criminal who cleans up?

The Lakes Region Weekly reported on yet another bizarre Maine violent crime occurrence. (My italics.)

Brutal home invasion shocks town
By Julia Davis
Reporter - Lakes Region Weekly

STANDISH (Feb 12, 2009):
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On Sunday morning at around 8:15 a.m. [Rick] Carlson, 55, of 44 Shore Road, showed up at his friend and neighbor Chris Danie’s house bloody and banged up.
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According to Danie, Carlson was sleeping in the living room with the television on, which is normal for him. He told Danie he awoke at 2 a.m. to a gun pressed to his head and a man demanding money. He grabbed the gun, realized it was plastic and the two men fought. The intruder pulled out a carving knife and stabbed Carlson in the arm and the back, Danie said, also cutting Carlson’s hand in the process. The intruder stayed in his house for six hours, taking the time to wash his bloody clothing in Carlson’s washing machine and dryer and tying Carlson up with duct tape before he left, Danie said.

Later that day, police arrested Ephriam Bennett, 46, about a quarter mile from the crime scene and charged him with elevated aggravated assault, robbery and burglary. Bennett, who prefers to be addressed as “E,” has a criminal record in Texas, North Carolina and Maine. He lived previously in Searsmont, though his most recent address was in Raleigh, N.C, according to Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion.
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In interviews with other media outlets since his arrest, Bennett has disputed the charges against him and police's version of events.

Carlson was taken to Maine Medical Center, where he was treated for two stab wounds, numerous cuts to his face and head and multiple broken ribs. He also lost a number of teeth from the incident, according to Dion. By Wednesday morning, he had been discharged from the hospital.
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Danie, his girlfriend and other friends spent Monday morning cleaning Carlson’s house, including bringing Carlson’s bloody couch to the dump and buying him a new one.

“It was a bloody mess, not something you would want to come home to,” Danie said.

Danie said Carlson was calm enough Sunday morning to tell him what had happened. According to Danie, after Carlson was stabbed, he gave up fighting and curled up into a ball on the couch. The intruder stayed in his house, disabling Carlson’s phone, going through his change and washing his bloody clothing. He was wandering around the house demanding $3,000, Danie said, adding that Carlson told him the intruder also asked him to write a permission slip for use of his car.

Before he left, the man tied Carlson up in the bedroom, wedged a chair in front of the door to hold it closed and left him there, bleeding, Danie said. Carlson then forced the door open and freed himself from the duct tape tying his hands and feet. He drove to Danie’s house for help and they called the police.
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In her 23 years living in Standish, Liz Keeley said she has seen the town change.

"Standish isn't the little town it used to be," Keeley said, adding that there are a lot more people living in the town and the crimes seem to be getting more and more bizarre.

Other residents were less affected by the incident.
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Read full article here, and see photo: [Source]