Brookfield Man Charged With Murdering Neighbor

A Brookfield man was arraigned on charges of second degree murder yesterday after telling police that he had shot dead his neighbor, whom he "openly despised" and who was threatening him with a pistol.

John M. Hasham, 46, a resident of Route 12,, south of Baker Pond in Brookfield, pleaded not guilty in Orange County District Court before Judge Alan Cheever to the charge of murdering David Drown, 37.

He was held in $250,000 bail.

Hasham entered his plea through his attorney, Daniel Sedon. He did not appear in court at his arraignment.

Atty. Sedon told Judge Cheever that his client had been apprehended in his pajamas and had not been given a chance to change clothes. He would not appear in court in his pajamas, he said.

Hasham was arrested after he called police Thursday afternoon to say he had shot and apparently killed Drown. Sgt. Willam Harkness took the call, and Tr. Randy Broulliard responded to the Hasham residence.

An affidavit filed with the court says that Hasham described the killing on the way back to the state police barracks with Tr. Broulliard and then in an interview room at the barracks, where he allegedly waived his Miranda warning.

Hasham claimed he fired in self-defense. He said he was checking on an unfamiliar vehicle which drove into the home rented by Drown. He said he had been asked by the owner of the house, Bob Langlois, to look after the house. Drown was being evicted from the house and Langlois suspected he would make trouble, Hasham claimed.

When he saw the unfamiliar car at the Drown residence, therefore, he told police, he armed himself with a .44 magnum revolver and walked over to the house because "he suspected something was not right."

Hearing movement inside the shed, Hasham said, he called out, "Who's there?"

"It's David, who's that?" was the response.

In one account to police, Hasham said he then entered the shed; in another account he said Drown came out. In either case, Hasham claims, Drown had a pistol and fired at him.

Hasham, who already had his hand on his revolver, said he shot three times and observed Drown fall backward to the ground and stop breathing.

Drown was pronounced dead by Sgt. James Cruise. Police said they observed apparent gunshot wounds in Drown's face and in his abdomen.

The defendant told police that the pistol that Drown allegedly tried to shoot him with was his own (Hasham's) pistol, which he suspected Drown had stolen from him. He first said he did not touch the pistol but later said he at first picked up the pistol and put it in his pocket but then placed the pistol back near Drown.

The pistol was found near the body. Acquaintances of Drown said they had never seen him in possession of a firearm, police said.

Police also said in the affidavit that the previous day, Hasham had pointed a pistol at another man, Mike Lussier, and the pistol was said to be similar to the pistol found near Drown's body.