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By BETTY ADAMS
Staff Writer 12/20/2007

In a brief hearing Wednesday morning in Kennebec County Superior Court, an attorney for Shannon Atwood, 37, of Canaan told Justice Nancy Mills that Atwood will write the samples requested by the state.

Atwood is charged with murder in the death of Cheryl Murdoch, 38, of Waterville. Murdoch's decomposed body was found Aug. 11, 2006, in a remote area in Canaan.

Police believe she was killed July 27, 2006.

Initially Atwood also faced a second count of murder for allegedly killing his wife, Shirley Moon Atwood, but that charge was later dropped. His wife has been missing since mid-March 2006 and police continue to investigate that case.

Assistant Attorney General Andrew Benson said the state is seeking the handwriting samples because it believes Shannon Atwood forged his wife's signature on documents.

"It would show that Shirley Atwood was out of the picture before Cheryl Murdoch turns up," said Benson. Benson said the samples from Atwood will be compared with known samples of Shirley Atwood's signature.

The samples are to be provided to a handwriting expert who is working with the Maine State Police.

John Alsop, an attorney representing Shannon Atwood, told the judge he believes the samples are being sought to substantiate the state's theory that Shannon Atwood killed his wife.

"We are not waiving our claims with respect to admissibility (of the samples)," Alsop said.

Alsop also said he advised Atwood to not provide handwriting samples last month in a session at the Somerset County jail.

"This exemplar session happened on short notice and we were at the jail and presented with a very long list," Alsop said.

Shannon Atwood, with a heavy brown beard and with his hands and feet shackled, was in the courtroom, but did not address the judge.

Mills said she would not rule on the state's request to sanction Atwood for refusing to give the samples, but continued the hearing until 8 a.m. Jan. 7.

Atwood is scheduled to stand trial next summer on the charge of murdering Murdoch.

Betty Adams -- 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

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