Notorious: Maine Crime in the Public Eye, 1690–1940

Prosecutors presented witnesses who testified about the Beans' frequent arguments and Otis’s associations with other women. One headline even claimed she wanted a "fat man with a car." During the trial, nationally recognized forensic expert Albert H. Hamilton of Auburn, New York, testified that the bullet's slightly upward trajectory near Otis's ear indicated Ethel could not have been the shooter. Ethel stood 5 feet 5 inches tall, while Otis was nearly 6 feet tall. This trajectory, which suggested a killer of equal height to the victim, combined with blood pattern analysis and evidence that Otis's large body had been dragged 20 feet from the garage, cast significant doubt on the case against Ethel.

Despite the heavily circumstantial evidence initially presented by the state, the charges against Ethel were dropped. The case, which garnered widespread attention, remained unresolved with no conviction or acquittal ever achieved.