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On Monday, February 7th, 2022, a Fairbanks, Alaska Superior Court jury sat in their chairs, listening to the closing arguments that would bring to a close the several weeks of testimony in the trial of Sophie Sergi's alleged killer.
After 26 years of searching for answers in the unsolved homicide of 20-year-old Sophie Sergi, DNA evidence led detectives from Alaska to the doorstep of an Auburn, Maine man named Steven Downs. He was once a student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where Sophie's body was found dead in a dorm room bathtub in April of 1993.
In February of 2022, Downs was back in Fairbanks, sitting in that courtroom and awaiting the jury's verdict for the charges brought against him. I have no interest in burying the lead here because of just how rare these conclusions are. On Thursday, February 10th, 2022, the jury returned with their verdict. Stephen Downs, guilty on the charges of murder and sexual assault.
Sophie Sergi's killer was finally identified and convicted in the long-standing Colt case. I covered Sophie Sergi's case in two parts on Dark Down East. You can find the episodes wherever you're listening right now. As promised, I want to share the updates and notable moments from the conclusion of the trial proceedings and take a look at what's next for the case of Sophie Sergi.
I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is a special update in the case of Sophie Sergi on Dark Down East. Part of the anticipated strategy of Stephen Down's defense team, led by Maine attorney James Hwanek, included introducing possible alternative suspects for the killing of Sophie Sergi. You'll remember that multiple names were first brought to light in pretrial hearings, and the judge ultimately decided to allow three of those suspects to be presented to the jury at trial.
One of those three alternative suspects was a man named Kenneth Modo. According to the defense, Modo made a compelling alternative suspect because he matched the description of the man seen by a witness leaving the women's bathroom where Sophie was later found. According to KUAC-TV9, the witness described the man as 5 feet 8 inches tall with black hair, wearing a gray t-shirt.
When Alaska State Trooper James McCann tracked Modo down and interviewed him a few days after Sophie's murder, Modo was wearing a gray t-shirt. McCann identified Modo in his notes from that interview as the guy coming out of the bathroom. McCann said at trial, however, that it was just a hunch, not a positive ID.
The other piece that the defense shared with the jury was that Kenneth Modo's late sister, Karen, told investigators before she passed away in 2018 that her brother confessed to the killing of Sophie Sergi. Kenneth Modo took the stand at Stephen Downs' trial, and defense attorney James Hoanick asked him about that reported confession. "'And do you remember telling Karen at any point that you had killed Sophie Sergi?' he asked."
Modo replied under oath, Modo seemed to clarify the incident that Hoanik was referring to, saying, End quote.
But you never told her that you had killed Sophie Sergi? Juanek asked. Kenneth Motto confirmed, quote, never did, end quote. Also part of the trial proceedings were the audio tapes of police interviews with Stephen Downs. Though the courtroom was closed to the public due to COVID-19 concerns,
The trial was livestreamed online for anyone to watch, and I listened to almost every day of testimony I could, including the day these interview tapes were played for the jury. Deputy Corporal Jay Pelletier with the Maine State Police assisted Alaska State Trooper Randall McFerrin with these interviews.
The first conversation between Pelletier and Stephen Downs came after days of surveillance on Stephen, hoping to obtain a discarded cup or other item that might contain his DNA. At this point, they already had the familial DNA match that led them to Stephen Downs, but they needed to get confirmation. Unsuccessful in obtaining anything with DNA for testing, on February 13th, 2019, Pelletier knocked on Stephen's door.
According to Pelletier's testimony, Stephen's reaction to state police standing at his door was that of surprise, but not altogether strange for someone in that scenario. Stephen led Jay to his dining table and spoke with him for just over 20 minutes. It was interesting to hear Stephen's voice and consider how he might have been carefully choosing his answers and his tone and demeanor, knowing now that he is a convicted killer.
But when those tapes were played for the jury, it really was hard to discern any abnormal behavior from Stephen Downs. He told Jay Pelletier that he remembered being interviewed about Sophie's murder by Alaska State Troopers back in 1993, along with his roommate. He said, quote, If we would have known anything from the jump, you know, we would have spoken up, me and Nick. We were furious, furious, always supporting women, looking out for them, end quote.
The following day, February 14th, 2019, Jay Pelletier returned to Stephen Downs' house with Alaska State Trooper Randall McFerrin. During this second recording, we heard the line of questioning between McFerrin and Downs, and Downs' repeated denial of knowing or even associating with Sophie Sergi. And you didn't know the girl that got killed, McFerrin asked him.
"'No, I've never heard of her,' Stephen replied. "'Never heard of her and never met her?' McFerrin questioned further. "'No,' Stephen stated." During that conversation, Stephen explained that he'd seen Sophie's photos and that he was, quote, "'mystified,' end quote, by the whole thing. He was clear on one point. He had no contact with Sophie Sergi whatsoever."
But investigators knew one thing before that conversation with Stephen Downs that the suspect didn't. Spermatozoa molecules found inside Sophie Sergi's vagina matched the DNA profile of Stephen Downs. I had the opportunity to sit down with the Maine State Unsolved Homicide Unit for a different project that you'll hear soon on Dark Down East, but as we wrapped up our scheduled business for the day, they asked me my thoughts on Sophie Sergi's case.
At that point, the jury was still out and a verdict had yet to be reached. When I explained my torn opinion on Stephen Downs as Sophie's killer, citing the possibility that DNA isn't always the end-all be-all when it comes to solving cold cases, and that maybe it was trace evidence, the forensic chemist again reminded me of a key fact, that Stephen Downs' sperm was found inside Sophie's body.
So, in my attempts to view this trial from a neutral position when preparing for the first two parts of Sophie Sergi's story on Dark Down East, I seemed to gloss over the fact that the spermatozoa molecules were found inside Sophie's body, not just on her clothing or on her skin. This was not trace evidence, possibly transferred from a common washing machine or restroom surface. This was inside her.
I wondered out loud if the jury could be swayed to believe that it was the result of a previous consensual encounter. Just trying to think of any holes in the state's case, again feeling this kind of unexplainable need to stay neutral until the jury returned with a verdict. But the assistant attorney general sitting at the table politely interjected to point out another key fact, that Stephen Downs denied knowing Sophie at all.
never having met her or interacted with her. She didn't have to dissect it any further for me. If they'd had a consensual sexual relationship that would explain the presence of his sperm in her body, why didn't Stephen Downs just say so? So I'm excited to introduce you to the entire team of experts on the Maine State Police Unsolved Homicide Unit, but that's coming in a later episode of Dark Down East. So back to the interview with Stephen Downs conducted by McFerrin.
Randy told Stephen the same essential facts about the DNA evidence they had in this case. DNA found in the victim matched his, and they asked if he would go to the Auburn Police Department to give a DNA sample and fingerprints. Stephen agreed, even drove himself there. In another interview recording played for the court, we hear McFerrin explain the facts to Stephen Downs at the police station.
and McFerrin's attempts to invite a confession from the suspect. Quote, You're basically a very good person. You've done some good things in your life. You help people. That's very commendable. Sophie deserves truth. End quote. Stephen replied to McFerrin, quote, I've always been a gentleman. No, it's just not possible. End quote. It's time for you to get rid of this, Steve. It's time to unburden yourself. McFerrin told him.
Stephen replied, "'Do what you need to do, but there's got to be an explanation for it, because it's not me. I've never hurt anyone in my life.'" After the last witness exited the stand, Judge Thomas I. Temple addressed the defendant, Stephen H. Downs. He was given the opportunity to testify in his own defense, but Downs made a knowing and voluntary decision not to testify.
So with that, on February 7th, 2022, Special Prosecutor Jenna Gruenstein began her closing argument for the prosecution, reminding the jury of the key facts of the case and encouraging them to see the connection between the person who committed the rape of Sophie Sergi, whose DNA was found inside her, to the person who killed her.
She drove that point home, that Stephen Downs semen was inside Sophie Sergi, quote, End quote.
Defense attorney James Hoanick also addressed the DNA evidence in his closing argument, circling back to testimony by a forensic pathologist who testified during trial that it, quote, would not be surprising to find semen in a dead person who had sex even days before, end quote. Hoanick wanted the jury to consider that it was the result of a consensual sexual encounter.
Hoanach also attempted to build doubt in the mind of jurors, reminding them of what he called a corrupted crime scene and issues with the early investigation. As both sides closed their cases, the jury was left with the final decision.
The jury deliberated for two days in February 2022 before returning to the Fairbanks, Alaska courtroom to convict Stephen H. Downs of first-degree murder and first-degree sexual assault. He was denied bail while awaiting a sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for September 26th and 27th, 2022. Sophie Sergi and her family finally have justice for their daughter and sister.
However, Sophie's mother passed away in 2021, before the trial began. She did have a little bit of closure when Stephen Downs was arrested in 2019. Alaska news source spoke to Sophie Sergi's brother, Alexi, who watched the trial proceedings and was confident that the state had the right guy for his sister's killing all along.
Alexi told reporters that he'd already forgiven the person who did this to his sister, even before Downs was identified and arrested. Quote, End quote.
Thank you for listening to this special update on Dark Down East. Sources are linked at darkdowneast.com. Whenever I can, I will bring you the most recent information in ongoing investigations, trial proceedings, and the conclusions of long-standing cold cases right here on this podcast. So many of you have found Dark Down East through friends or family who took the time to share and recommend this show on social media.
So if you love the show, I'd love to have your support in sharing it with other true crime podcast fans. Each listen is a new chance that unsolved cases in Maine, New England, and beyond reach a conclusion and families receive the closure they deserve. Tag at Dark Down East on Instagram or on Facebook so I can personally thank you for spreading the word.
And as always, thank you for supporting this show and allowing me to do what I do. I continue to feel honor to use this platform for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones, and for those who are still searching for answers in cold missing persons and homicide cases. I will not let those names or their stories get lost with time. I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is Dark Down East.
