Spinelli still cares for Maxie, and gets shot by Lisa Niles (Brianna Brown) while trying to protect Maxie. She starts growing closer to Matt during this time. When Lisa is killed, Maxie is a suspect, along with Matt and several others. When Maxie's cousin, Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough), is killed in a gas explosion, Maxie believes she was responsible for the gas leak, and tries to get herself arrested for Robin's murder. When this fails, she claims to have killed Lisa, and gets sent to prison. Spinelli tries to prove Maxie's innocence, and discovers the real killer was Matt. Maxie asks him to keep quiet and let her take the fall. Spinelli refuses, and turns Matt in. Maxie is released, on the condition that she testifies that she saw Matt kill Lisa. Angry, Maxie marries Matt to avoid testifying against him. However, Matt turns himself in, and goes to prison. He tells Maxie he'll annul their marriage, but she refuses.