Executive Summary
- Jason Servil was resentenced to 45 years in prison for the 2022 murder of Alice Abbott in Skowhegan, Maine.
- The Maine Supreme Judicial Court vacated the original sentence due to a procedural error involving an obituary read without defense notice.
- Servil pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault, admitting to stabbing Abbott approximately 100 times.
- Judge Jeffrey Hjelm imposed the 45-year term alongside a concurrent 10-year sentence for the assault charge.
SKOWHEGAN, Maine — A Massachusetts man has been ordered to serve 45 years in prison for the 2022 murder of his ex-girlfriend, following a second sentencing hearing mandated by the state’s highest court. Jason Servil, who pleaded guilty to the charges, appeared before Judge Jeffrey Hjelm on Monday to receive the sentence for the killing of 20-year-old Alice Abbott.
According to court records and prosecutors, the sentencing concludes a legal process that began with the discovery of Abbott’s body at a Skowhegan home on July 16, 2022. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Abbott had sustained approximately 100 stab wounds. Servil, who was 19 at the time of the homicide, was also sentenced to a concurrent 10-year term for aggravated assault regarding an attack on a male friend of Abbott’s using a crowbar during the same incident.
Investigators stated that Servil and Abbott met online, after which Servil stayed at her parents’ property for several weeks. Following their breakup, authorities say Servil learned through Facebook that Abbott was meeting another man. He was subsequently indicted by a grand jury on August 25, 2022, and entered a guilty plea to both charges on January 17, 2024, under an agreement capping the murder sentence at 45 years.
The case underwent a complex appellate review after the initial sentencing in April 2024. During that first hearing, the presiding judge allowed Abbott’s obituary, obtained independently by the court, to be read into the record without providing a copy to the defense. Servil appealed, arguing this violated his right to a fair sentencing process. On August 7, 2025, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of the defense, vacating the sentence. The high court’s ruling stated that the reliance on an extrajudicial source that appeared “less than impartial” necessitated a new sentencing phase before a different judge.
During the resentencing on Monday, Judge Hjelm accepted the state’s recommendation of 45 years for the murder charge and ordered $2,320 in restitution. The defense had argued for a reduced sentence of 30 years for the murder count. It is a fundamental principle of the legal system that all defendants are afforded due process throughout judicial proceedings, including the sentencing phase.
Judicial Procedure and Due Process
The resentencing of Jason Servil underscores the strict procedural standards enforced by state appellate courts regarding the introduction of evidence during sentencing. By vacating the initial sentence due to the admission of an independently obtained obituary without defense notice, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court reinforced the necessity of impartiality and transparency in judicial conduct. This case serves as a significant reference point for the handling of victim impact materials and ensures that sentencing decisions rely strictly on evidence presented within the adversarial framework, safeguarding the integrity of the judicial process even in cases involving guilty pleas.
