AUGUSTA, Maine — Nicholas Lovejoy pleaded not guilty to the murder of his longtime girlfriend, Melissa Sousa, on Monday.
Sousa was reported missing by a friend when she didn't show up to work in October. Two other friends and Lovejoy's brother also alerted police something may be wrong and Lovejoy could have something to do with it.
The next day, Sousa's body was found in the couple's home.
According to court documents, Lovejoy claims he shot Sousa in self-defense after she had pushed him down the stairs and tried to shoot him. He then admits to shooting her twice then wrapping her in a tarp and putting her body in the basement.
"Hopefully there are some forensics there that would support his statement," Lovejoy's attorney, Derrick Banda said of his client's self-defense claim.
While the justice system is ongoing, family and friends of Sousa say they want to get the couple's twin 8-year-old daughters home to their grandmother.
"You know my sister has to live this every day over and over and over again and she's trying to get Melissa's girls home and it's just been a struggle," Sousa's aunt, April Sibert said.
Sibert goes on to call the last few months "hell" and a "nightmare" trying to deal with the loss of her niece and get her daughters home with family.
Friends and family are also pushing other people who may be in an abusive relationship to resources and trying to raise awareness.
"There has been other cases around the area and things so there are things on the undergo.. working to hopefully stop not only Melissa's case but everybody else's in the state of Maine as well," Jordyn Towers, a friend of Sousa's said.
Lovejoy remains held without bail in the Kennebec County Jail.