PALMYRA -- Steven R. Cutting of Palmyra, who allegedly confessed over the weekend to killing a Portland man in 1995, worked at a residential facility with recovering drug addicts.

Cutting, 46, faces a charge of murder and made an initial court appearance Tuesday in Cumberland County Superior Court. He was being held at Cumberland County Jail in Portland.

Justice Robert Crowley read the charge against Cutting -- a single count of murder, for the April 30, 1995, killing of William Greenwood in Portland.

Cutting was not asked to enter a plea, because he has not been indicted. Prosecutors could seek an indictment when the grand jury convenes early next month.

During the brief appearance on Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Lisa Marchese requested a bail hearing, at which she will argue Cutting should be held without bail until the case is resolved. No date for the hearing has been set.

Randall Bates, the lawyer appointed by the court to represent Cutting, told Crowley he needed more time than the standard five days to prepare for a bail hearing. In the meantime, Cutting will continue to be held without bail at the Cumberland County Jail in Portland.

Cutting has been employed as a residential technician at Morrison Place in Portland since August 2005, a facility spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. Morrison Place is a 12-bed facility that provides transitional housing and treatment for homeless adults with co-occurring disorders: a drug addiction and mental illness.

"We were all shocked -- the whole community was," said Jim Gemmell, director of communications for Morrison Place. "It's such an incredibly sad story."

Cutting was a full-time employee from Aug. 15, 2005, until the present, he said.

Police arrested Cutting on Saturday in the shooting death of Greenwood, who died after a night of partying in Portland. Out of the blue, Cutting allegedly confessed to the killing over the weekend because he was driven by guilt.

As a residential technician at Morrison Place, Cutting gave "support, helped preparing meals, cleaning, keeping the house in order, getting residents to the grocery store," Gemmell said.

Gemmell said Morrison Place employees will not discuss Cutting any further because "our highest priority of concern right now is our clients."

The car drive from Palmyra to Portland is about an hour and 40 minutes.

"That was a little surprise to us as well; it seemed like a long commute," Gemmell said.

At the time of his death, Greenwood was a 36-year-old father of four with a steady job in a machine shop in Westbrook. He took a bus to Portland from his home in Westbrook that night and spent time at two bars. He planned to take a cab home but told a bartender he had found a ride instead. His body was found the next day.

Police said Cutting emerged as a suspect this weekend after a relative told the Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office Cutting said he was responsible for killing Greenwood. Cutting shared detailed information about the crime scene that had never been publicly disclosed, police said.

(MaineToday Media, Inc. contributed to this report.)

Scott Monroe, 861-9253, 487-3288

smonroe@centralmaine.com