On March 16th, 2019, Mark Cardilli Jr. shot and killed 22-year-old Isahak Muse following a physical altercation at the Cardilli home in Portland. At the time, Muse was dating Cardilli's sister, Chelsea, despite bail conditions prohibiting her from having contact with Muse.
On the night of the killing, Muse refused to leave the Cardili's home, according to court documents, which lead to the altercation between Muse, Chelsea Cardilli, and other members of the Cardilli family, and which culminated in the shooting.
The case set off racial justice protests in Portland. Mark Cardilli is white, and Isahak Muse was Black.
Cardilli was found guilty of manslaughter, and is serving seven and a half years in jail. But Maine Superior Court Justice John O'Neil Jr. vacated that conviction on Tuesday, finding Cardilli's lawyers had offered "ineffective assistance" by failing to vigorously argue that their client was acting in self-defense.
The Maine Attorney General's office, which was involved in prosecuting Cardilli, said it is reviewing its options, and will quote "continue to work to ensure justice for Isahak Muse and his family."
The Attorney General's office said a bail hearing for Cardilli is set for Friday, Aug. 23 at 1 p.m.
