Husband of woman killed in 2024 Morrill’s Corner fight pleads to misdemeanor
A 52-year-old Maine man who lost his wife in a deadly brawl between rival motorcycle clubs has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in connection with a robbery that preceded the fatal fight, court records show.
Troy McHugh, of Portland, entered the guilty plea on May 22 to one count of misdemeanor assault. A judge sentenced him to 72 hours in jail — time he has already served — followed by a year of probation. Prosecutors dropped two felony robbery counts against him on the same day.
The case stems from a violent chain of events in the summer of 2024. On July 30 of that year, McHugh and another man, William Holmes, were indicted in August on allegations that they took a jacket and a handgun from a member of a rival motorcycle group affiliated with the Outlaws. A Cumberland County prosecutor had alleged McHugh and Holmes were members of a club called FSU, and that their victim belonged to Higher Calling.
That robbery was followed hours later by a large brawl on Forest Avenue in Portland, near the Morrills Corner area. During that fight, McHugh's wife, Susan McHugh, was shot and killed. According to court records and statements from McHugh's attorney, McHugh himself spent several days in the hospital and continues to suffer from a brain injury sustained in the encounter.
McHugh's attorney, Luke Rioux, said the evidence showed his client was not physically violent during the earlier robbery. In a statement, Rioux said the plea deal was negotiated to avoid the risks of going to trial, despite what he described as strong arguments in McHugh's defense.
Rioux also expressed disappointment that prosecutors had pursued charges against McHugh at all, saying he had been "savagely beaten" and had lost his wife in the same night's violence.
The case against Holmes, who was indicted alongside McHugh, remains pending. Court records show Holmes' case has been moved to a mental health docket, and a judge ordered a mental health evaluation for him in March.
Separately, the Maine Attorney General's office pursued charges against members of Higher Calling who were involved in the brawl itself. Five men have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault charges related to the fight, according to court records.
Aaron Karp, who admitted to firing the shot that killed Susan McHugh, pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year and is currently serving a five-year sentence.
The dismissed felony counts against McHugh bring a partial close to one chapter of a case that has touched multiple defendants, rival motorcycle clubs, and a grieving family still grappling with the loss that followed the July 2024 violence.
