Three Defendants Sentenced in 2017 Homicide of Wayne Foss On October 28, 2017, the body of 48-year-old Wayne Foss was discovered in his home in Whitneyville. The residence had been set on fire, but the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta was able to determine that Mr. Foss’s death was a homicide. The cause of death was sharp force injury and inhalation of combustible materials. Detectives from the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit North, Investigators from the Office of State Fire Marshal, and later Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit Unsolved, spent years following every lead in the case. In October 2023, a Washington County Grand Jury indicted three individuals in connection with Mr. Foss’s death. 35-year-old Justin Matthews of Robbinston was arrested in Saco. 29-year-old Basilio Liranzo of Bronx, New York who was already incarcerated at the Maine State Prison on unrelated charges, was also indicted. 27-year-old Leanza Boney of Bronx, New York, was arrested in New York City by Maine State Police Detectives and members of a U.S. Marshal’s Task Force. Over the past several months, all three individuals pleaded guilty to charges related to Mr. Foss’s death. The final sentencing, for Justin Matthews, occurred on May 8, 2025. Matthews was sentenced on Felony Murder to 16 years all but 10 years suspended with 4 years’ probation. Liranzo was sentenced to Felony Murder and Arson for 16 years; Boney was sentenced on Conspiracy to Commit Murder and sentenced to 16 years all but 5 years suspended with 4 years’ probation. This case highlights the continued commitment of the Maine State Police and the Attorney General’s Office to securing justice in homicide cases no matter how much time has passed. Anyone with information related to this case, or any unsolved homicide or missing persons case, is encouraged to contact the Maine State Police.
Shannon Moss
Public Information Officer
Maine Department of Public Safety