Convicted murderer seeking new trial

ROCKLAND – A Friendship man convicted earlier this month of murdering his married lover and attempting to murder her husband has filed an appeal seeking an acquittal or a new trial.

Douglas Dyer, 33, through his attorney Steven Peterson of Rockport, claims that he was denied a fair trial because the jury pool allegedly was tainted by pretrial publicity and that the court erred in not granting either of two requests for a change of venue.

Dyer was convicted of shooting Allison Small, 30, on Jan. 28, 2005, and killing her outside Vinalhaven Transportation, the business Small and her husband, Brandon Small, now 33, owned on New County Road .

Dyer, who professed the shooting was accidental, is expected to be sentenced in April in Knox County Superior Court.