Police Beat: Climber Who Fell From Champlain Mountain's South Wall June 23 Recovering
All local and not-quite-so-local law enforcement press releases
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Bar Harbor Music Festival.
BAR HARBOR—A young chef from Portland, Maine is still recovering from his fall in Acadia, June 23, when his rescue was facilitated by a company called SASTAC, which was conducting a clinic about patient packaging and evacuation from exactly this type of setting.
Benjamin Weiss, 22, fell approximately 20 feet at the South Wall of Champlain Mountain climbing area, which is near the Precipice Trail.
The SASTAC students were current military, law enforcement, and civilian contractors: the kind of people you would expect to need the training and expertise to operate in such environments as a vertical cliff face.
According to Weiss’ dad, Gregg, Benjamin was on a six-week rock climbing trip with his roommate, Rene Castello.
“Acadia was their last spot to climb after visiting Kentucky, Tennessee, New York, New Hampshire, and Maine,” said Gregg.
After the evacuation and then the care from Bar Harbor Fire Department’s ambulance personnel, Benjamin was air lifted to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor where he is recovering.
“Ben is pretty banged up,” Gregg said. “We are thankful for those guys being there. He is not paralyzed and his head was not injured.”
Still there is a lot of healing and recovery to do because of broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, and injured elbow.
“He’s in good spirits so far and very strong,” Gregg said.
Representatives from SASTAC and members of the class that were training, and were part of the rescue, on June 23 visited Ben at the hospital on Friday, June 27, so they could all meet again when Ben was in better shape than when they first met.
BAR HARBOR AND MOUNT DESERT POLICE LOGS
The following incidents occurred in Bar Harbor and Mount Desert last week according to the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Department police logs, which is publicly released information.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
The Bar Harbor Police Department received a motor vehicle complaint regarding a vehicle that was forcing other vehicles off the road, tailgating, and brake checking other vehicles. No officers were in a position to intercept this vehicle and the complaint was passed on to the Southwest Harbor Police Department.
An officer responded to a motor vehicle complaint on Eden Street in Bar Harbor but could not locate the suspect vehicle.
Officer Justin Burnett responded to a medical call in Bar Harbor with the Bar Harbor Fire Department.
Someone reported a woman dancing, singing, and not acting normally in Bar Harbor’s Village Green. Officers responded but could not locate the woman.
Sgt. Doug Brundrett responded to a report of a vehicle off the road near the “bluffs” in Bar Harbor. The vehicle suffered no damage and was towed back on to the roadway by D.C. Towing.
Officer Caleb Mora arrested Conor Kenny, 27, of Bar Harbor, in Bar Harbor, for a failure-to-appear arrest warrant. Kenny was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Officer Burnett gave a Bar Harbor resident a ride home after the resident got a flat tire on his bicycle.
Officers responded to a report of a possible swimmer in distress in the area of the breakwater in Bar Harbor. It was determined that there was no emergency.
Officer Zack Kline responded to a report of a woman screaming on Main Street in Northeast Harbor. Officer Kline located the woman who said she was just having a bad day. The woman denied any medical assistance and said that she just wanted to go back to her hotel for the night.
Officers responded to a medical call in Bar Harbor with the Bar Harbor Fire Department.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Michael Siemion, 67, of Bar Harbor, was driving a 2019 Chevy 1500 pickup and was stopped at the intersection of Holland Avenue and Cottage Street in Bar Harbor. Aryn McGraw, 28, of Orland was driving a 2016 Jeep Cherokee east on Cottage Street when Siemion allegedly proceeded to enter the intersection and stuck the Jeep on the driver’s side. McGraw complained of left arm pain due to the side airbag going off but refused transport to the hospital. The Chevy sustained front-end damage and the Jeep was towed from the scene by D.C. Towing due to disabling damage to the driver’s side.
Sgt. Soren Sundberg received information about potential unlicensed taxis operating in the Bar Harbor area and is investigating the matter.
The Bar Harbor Police Department was made aware of a civil issue between a property owner and a construction company but the matter is being handled by the two parties involved.
Officer Shelby O’Neil responded to a report of a tractor trailer blocking a road in Bar Harbor while unloading. The tractor trailer was moved along to a different spot to unload.
The Mount Desert Police Department received a motor vehicle complaint regarding a vehicle heading north on Route 102 in Somesville and the complaint was passed on to the agency that was covering Trenton, the Maine State Police.
Officer O’Neil responded to a report of an intoxicated person on Bar Harbor’s Village Green. The person was transported to the MDI Hospital.
Sgt. Chris Dickens was requested to respond with the Bar Harbor Fire Department to a medical call in Trenton but was cancelled prior to arrival.
Officer Liam Harrington assisted a resident of Bar Harbor in need.
Officer Nathan Formby responded to a report of a man jumping into traffic in Bar Harbor to try and solicit a ride. The man was gone when Officer Formby arrived.
Someone called 911 in regard to people who had locked themselves out of their cottage in Bar Harbor. The property manager was contacted to help the people.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Officer Formby responded to a report of an intoxicated person in Bar Harbor and warned the person for their actions.
John Snow, 34, of Cheshire, CT was driving a 2015 Toyota Scion and behind him, Kylie Vanluvender, 27, of Havertown, PA, was driving a 2017 Volkswagen. Behind her, Ashlynn Cobb, 30, of Philadelphia, PA, was driving a 2013 Toyota Scion. All were heading south on Sound Drive in Mount Desert.
Snow slowed to make a left-hand turn and Vanluvender allegedly failed to slow down and struck the rear of Snow’s vehicle. Cobb also allegedly failed to slow down and struck the rear of Vanluvender’s vehicle which caused it to strike Snow’s vehicle for a second time.
Cobb was transported to the hospital by family members for complaints of pain and Vanluvender was transported to the hospital by ambulance for complaints of pain.
Snow’s vehicle sustained damage to the rear end and was driven from the scene. Vanluvender’s vehicle sustained damage to both the rear and front ends and was towed from the scene by D.C. Towing. Cobb’s vehicle sustained damage to the front end and was towed from the scene by Acadia Towing.
Sgt. Sundberg responded to a complaint of vehicles parked on Eden Street in Bar Harbor near the school, blocking traffic. Sgt. Sundberg located one vehicle that had broken down and was able to move it out of the roadway while waited for a tow truck.
Sgt. Sundberg performed a well-being check on a woman in Bar Harbor because her husband could not reach her by phone. The woman was all set.
Officer O’Neil responded to a report of a delivery truck blocking traffic in Bar Harbor and moved it along.
Officer O’Neil attempted to serve a protection order in Bar Harbor but could not. The order was later served by another agency.
After responding to a complaint of a disorderly person at a Bar Harbor restaurant, Officer O’Neil arrested Derek Smith, 36, of Louisiana, for alleged criminal trespass, alleged disorderly conduct, and alleged refusing to submit to arrest or detention. Smith was transported to the Hancock County jail.
William Bishop, 40, of Seal Cove, was driving a 2018 Chevy Silverado and was attempting to cross Route 102 from County Road in Bar Harbor. Bishop allegedly failed to yield the right of way to Grace David, 51, of Maryland, who was driving a 2013 Chevy Traverse south on Route 102 and struck the Traverse in the passenger’s side. David sustained minor injuries. Both vehicles were towed due to disabling damage.
James Jao, 67, of New York, was driving a 2025 Nissan Rouge north on Eden Street in Bar Harbor when he allegedly struck a pedestrian at the intersection of Eden Street and Highbrook Road in Bar Harbor. The pedestrian, Alisa Babliuc, 20, of Bar Harbor, was transported to “MDI Hospital for treatment.” Jao was not injured and the vehicle suffered minor front end damage.
A Mount Desert resident reported that his neighbor had set off a smoke bomb and smoke was going into the complainant’s house. The complainant just wanted it on file and it was later determined to be smoke used for photography.
Officer Harrington took a report of damage to a mailbox in Bar Harbor.
Officer Harrington took a report of a dog bite that occurred in Bar Harbor.
Friday, June 27, 2025
Officer Troy Stanwood assisted a transient person in Bar Harbor.
Officer Harrington assisted someone in Bar Harbor who had locked themselves out and was able to get them back inside.
Officer Mora responded to a motor vehicle crash that occurred in Bar Harbor. There was no damage to the vehicle and it occurred on private property.
Officer Stanwood responded to a report of a dog in car in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer Justin Burnett responded to a report of an aggressive driver in Bar Harbor but could not locate the suspect vehicle.
Sgt. Sundberg responded to a reported parking issue in Northeast Harbor but found the vehicle in question to be on private property and not in violation.
Officer Mora responded to a trespassing complaint in Bar Harbor but the trespasser turned out to be a customer.
Officers responded to a complaint of a white Mercedes driving in an unsafe manner in Somesville but were unable to locate the vehicle.
Officer Burnett took a late report of a bicycle having been hit by a vehicle in Bar Harbor. There were no reported injuries and the information was documented.
Officer Mora assisted at a medical emergency in Town Hill.
Officer Elias Burne assisted with traffic control while the Bar Harbor Fire Department responded to a medical call in Bar Harbor.
Officer Judson Cake transported a man from the hospital to his residence in Bar Harbor.
Officer Formby tried to perform a requested well-being check on a person that was seen walking on West Street in Bar Harbor but could not locate the person.
Officer J. Cake performed a well-being check on someone in Northeast Harbor and found them to be fine.
Officer Kline performed a requested well-being check on a man in Bar Harbor and subsequently transported him to MDI Hospital for an evaluation.
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Officer Formby transported three people from downtown Bar Harbor to their hotel.
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Formby arrested Cadence Tucker, 20, of Northbridge, MA, for alleged operating under the influence. After receiving a summons, Tucker was given a ride to Trenton.
Officer Mora issued Kathleen Seavey, 65, of Ellsworth, a summons for alleged failure to register a vehicle following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor.
Sophia Knudson, 29, of MA, was driving a 2011 Subaru east on Eagle Lake Road in Bar Harbor when she allegedly became distracted by an insect inside the vehicle and went off the roadway and into a ditch. There was no reported injury and the vehicle was towed by D.C. Towing due to disabling damage.
Officer Burnett responded to a report of a vehicle parked on private property in Bar Harbor. Once the vehicle was identified, the owner of the property declined to have it towed.
Sgt. Sundberg is investigating the marking up of the police department’s new mobile command post with pink chalk paint in Bar Harbor.
Sgt. Sundberg is “following up on ongoing speeding complaints in Bar Harbor.”
Officer Burnett assisted someone with finding their parked vehicle in Bar Harbor.
Officer Formby arrested Laura Howells, 30, of Philadelphia, PA, for alleged operating under the influence in Mount Desert. Howells was transported to the Hancock County Jail.
Officer Formby responded to a report of an intoxicated and disorderly person on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor but could not locate the person.
Sgt. Jerrod Hardy gave someone a ride from MDI Hospital back to their residence in Bar Harbor.
Following a traffic stop in Bar Harbor, Officer Formby arrested David Pizzitola, 45, of Putnam, CT, for alleged operating under the influence.
Sgt. Hardy performed a well-being check, that was requested from out of state, on an 11-year-old who had been found home alone in Mount Desert. Sgt. Hardy arranged for a family member to pick up the boy and made a DHHS referral.
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Officer J. Cake investigated a possibly impaired driver on Eden Street in Bar Harbor and found the woman not to be impaired.
Officer Mora took a report of a lost dog in Bar Harbor. No further information or disposition was given.
Officer Mora retrieved some reported drug paraphernalia in Bar Harbor and disposed of it.
Someone reported having no recent contact with a family member in Bar Harbor and Officer Mora determined that the family member in question was out of state.
Officer Mora responded to a report of a woman panhandling in Bar Harbor but could not locate the woman.
Sgt. Sundberg received a report of a loose manhole cover in Bar Harbor, located the manhole cover, and put it back on properly. He then notified the Bar Harbor Highway Division of the incident.
Officer Kevin Edgecomb provided traffic control for a private function at the Old School House in Hulls Cove.
Officer Formby responded to a noise complaint in Otter Creek but could not locate the source of the noise complaint.
Officers located a person in Bar Harbor on behalf of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
Monday, June 30, 2025
Officer J. Cake took a noise complaint in Bar Harbor regarding someone in a vehicle playing loud music but could not locate the vehicle.
Officer Ted Cake was provided some information from someone in Mount Desert.
While Sgt. Brundrett was checking on an unattended dog in a car on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor, the owners returned.
Mental Health Liaison Melissa Tozier spoke with an unhoused transient in Bar Harbor.
MHL Tozier met with a Mount Desert resident who has ongoing mental health concerns.
A man from West Virginia checked onto the Bar Harbor Police Department as required by his status as a registered sex offender to let them know he would be in the area for a couple of days.
After receiving an online traffic complaint regarding speeding on the Cromwell Harbor Road in Bar Harbor, the police department will have directed patrols in the area.
Officer Stanwood took a report of a missing juvenile in Bar Harbor, located him on Main Street, and reunited him with his parents.
Officer Stanwood issued someone a trespass warning for a Bar Harbor business.
Officer Kaleb Payson received a complaint about a fire on Hadley Point Beach in Bar Harbor, checked on the fire, and found everything to be fine.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Officers responded to a person having a mental health crisis in Bar Harbor and were able to get the person calmed down and a resolution was made for the night.
SOUTHWEST HARBOR AND TREMONT
The following incidents occurred in Southwest Harbor or Tremont last week according to the Southwest Harbor Police Department police log, which is publicly released information.
Monday, June 23, 2025
Officer Bradley Russell responded to a deer in distress call in Southwest Harbor and had to dispatch the deer after determining that it had been hit by a vehicle.
Someone called the Southwest Harbor Police Department to make them aware that someone else had left debris and trash in the roadway in Southwest Harbor. The caller had picked up the trash and debris.
Officer Russell responded to a dog at large call in Southwest Harbor, located the dog, and reunited it with its owner.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
After receiving a complaint from the Bar Harbor Police Department regarding poor vehicle operation for a vehicle that was heading towards Southwest Harbor, Officer Rick Graham located the vehicle and warned the driver for their operation.
A Southwest Harbor woman reported that she had been a fraud victim, had already gone to her bank and had all of her accounts changed, and was reporting the issue at the request of the bank.
A juvenile from Tremont reported that her boyfriend was missing. Officer Graham spoke with the boyfriend’s parents who said that they knew where their son was, that he was safe, and that they did not want to report him as missing.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Officer Graham performed a drive-through patrol of the Seawall Campground and observed no issues.
After receiving a report of debris flying from a truck in Southwest Harbor, Officer Kristen Roulet located the truck and determined that the load was properly secured.
A Southwest Harbor resident reported that they had found and collected a roaming dog in Southwest Harbor. Officer Roulet picked the dog up and brought it back to the police station where it was reunited with its owner.
The Southwest Harbor Police Department received an email regarding the safety of a juvenile. Officer Roulet took care of the situation.
Someone backed into a juvenile while at work in Tremont. Officer Roulet responded and investigated and the juvenile’s parent took them to be checked out medically.
Officer Roulet is investigating a possible property fraud case involving a Southwest Harbor resident.
Officer Roulet assisted with a “warrant service” in Tremont.
Officer Roulet took a report of a possible hit and run in Southwest Harbor.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Sgt. Ryan Blakeney is investigating a report from a Tremont resident regarding actions that were done on a local property.
An officer assisted someone with getting their vehicle out of a parking lot in Southwest Harbor.
After a person walked into the Southwest Harbor Police Department to make a complaint, Sgt. Blakeney went to look for the subject of the complaint, a vehicle with no registration plates on it and a “weird orange dot on the screen in the vehicle” parked on Main Street in Southwest Harbor. Sgt. Blakeney could not locate the vehicle.
Officer Roulet responded to a Southwest Harbor business after they complained about an abandoned vehicle in their parking lot. The business contacted a tow company to have the vehicle removed.
Officer Roulet responded to a verbal altercation involving a juvenile in Southwest Harbor and was able to resolve the issue.
Friday, June 27, 2025
Officer Roulet responded to a report of a truck on fire in Tremont. The fire had been extinguished by the time she arrived and the truck was towed.
Officer Russell spoke with someone from Tremont about a family matter.
Officer Russell fingerprinted someone at the Southwest Harbor Police Department for employment purposes.
Officer Russell was responding to a noise complaint in Tremont but before he could arrive, the complainant called back and said that the party, which was the source of the noise, was over and there was no longer an issue.
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Officer Russell responded to a business alarm at a Southwest Harbor business and secured the building.
Officer Russell responded to a 911 call reporting that someone was in the caller’s Southwest Harbor apartment who wasn’t supposed to be there. Officer Russell resolved the situation.
Officer Graham unlocked the door of a Tremont resident’s residence so that family and aid workers could access the house.
Officer Graham performed a well-being check at a Bass Harbor residence at the request of the homeowner because the contractor was not returning calls. Officer Graham found the contractor and they were fine.
Officer Graham responded to a Southwest Harbor laundromat because a customer reported that the bathroom door had been locked for an hour and they could hear someone moving inside. Officer Graham found the bathroom to be unlocked and empty.
Sunday, June 29, 2025
Two women waited inside of the Southwest Harbor Police Department for a taxi to pick them up and take them back to Bar Harbor.
Sgt. Blakeney received a report regarding speeders on a Southwest Harbor road making it unsafe to pull out onto the road. The police department will have directed patrols in this area.
Sgt. Blakeney responded to a trespassing complaint in Tremont and issued someone a trespass warning for the property.
STATE POLICE PRESS RELEASES
These are the Maine State Police press releases from the last few days. The Bar Harbor Story will include these each week though most (and sometimes all) do not occur on Mount Desert Island.
MDEA and Oakland Police Arrest New York man for Aggravated Trafficking
OAKLAND—For the past two months, MDEA Agents and the Oakland Police Department have been investigating suspected drug trafficking from a Lakeview Drive residence.
On June 23, 2025, agents along with Oakland Police, Waterville Police with two Waterville K-9s served a search warrant at 65 Lakeview Drive.
Brandon Seegars, 26, of Bronx, NY, jumped out of a window in an attempt to escape. Seegars was taken into custody with the assistance of a Waterville police K-9 team.
Once the residence was cleared, agents conducted a search and seized 650 grams of Cocaine HCL, 13.2 grams Cocaine Base, 20.9 grams of Fentanyl and $3674 in suspected drug proceeds.
Seegars was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated trafficking schedule W drugs, class A.
The estimated street value of the 650 grams of cocaine HCL is $65,000. The 13.2 grams cocaine base, $1350 and the 20.9 grams of fentanyl, $2600.
Bail was set at $ 75000 for Seegars. Seegars is also on Federal Probation out of New Jersey for a Hobbs Act Crime of armed bank robbery.
Seegars is currently being held at the Kennebec County Jail awaiting an initial court appearance.
The investigation continues and additional arrests are expected.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The MDEA stands committed to working with all federal, state, county, and local law enforcement partners in order to continue to identify and disrupt drug trafficking organizations who are attempting to distribute illicit drugs like fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine in the State of Maine.
If you or someone you know suffers from substance, use disorder, please call 211 or text your zip code to 898-211 for a list of resources available in your area.
If you have information about this investigation or the illegal sale of drugs in your community, you are urged to contact the Maine Drug Enforcement office closest to you or by texting MDEA to TIP411 (847411) or by calling the MDEA tip-line at 1-800-452-6457.
Maine State Police Investigating Serious Crash in Robbinston
ROBBINSTON—On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at approximately 4:34 p.m., troopers from the Maine State Police Northern Field Troop responded to a request for assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office regarding a serious injury crash on Ridge Road in Robbinston. Upon arrival, troopers located a Black Chevrolet Trex in a ditch with substantial damage to the passenger side. The vehicle was being operated by 19-year-old Aleksa Suddy, of Eastport.
There were five other occupants in the vehicle, including 19-year-old Tamara Sockabasin, of Perry, and four individuals under the age of 18. All occupants were transported to the hospital. Three individuals were transported by LifeFlight to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, where two are listed in serious condition and one in critical condition. The remaining occupants sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The crash remains under active investigation.
Fire Marshal’s Office Arrests Man for Arson in Princeton
PRINCETON—On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at approximately 1:00 p.m., the Fire Marshal’s Office responded to a fire at an unoccupied residential property located at 13 Main Street in Princeton. The property showed signs of people trespassing.
Fire investigators determined that the fire had been intentionally set. As a result of the investigation, 39-year-old Anthony Thurlow, an unhoused individual, was identified as a suspect. Thurlow was already in custody at the Washington County Jail, having been arrested earlier by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding warrant. He was subsequently charged with arson in connection with the fire in Princeton.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including fire departments from Princeton, Baileyville, Indian Township, and Grand Lake Stream. Law enforcement support was provided by officers from Princeton and Indian Township Police Departments, an Indian Township Game Warden, and a Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy. The cooperation between fire departments and law enforcement agencies played a key role in the quick resolution of this case.
FMO Investigating Early Morning Fire in Ogunquit
OGUNQUIT—On Thursday, June 26, 2025, at approximately 4:00 a.m., the Ogunquit Fire and Police Departments responded to an alarm activation at Ocean Meadows West, Unit 45. Upon arrival, the fire chief observed smoke coming from the unit. Further investigation revealed that the rear deck of the structure was fully involved with fire. The flames had rapidly extended up the side of the building and into the attic space above the garage.
When the first fire crews arrived on scene, flames were already visible from the roofline. Despite aggressive firefighting effort, two units were ultimately declared a total loss. Two people were inside the building at the time of the fire. They were able to get out safely. No injuries were reported.
The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office was called in to conduct a thorough investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. The cause of the fire remains undetermined. However, investigators have not ruled out the possibility of improperly discarded smoking materials or the careless disposal of staining or painting products that may have been left on the deck.
The Ogunquit Fire Department received mutual aid from the York, Wells, Kittery, and Kennebunk Fire Departments.
Maine State Police Investigating Tanker Crash on I-95 in Old Town
OLD TOWN—On Friday, June 27, 2025, at approximately 12:15 p.m., a tanker truck carrying water was traveling southbound on Interstate 95 when it overturned in the median near mile marker 198 in Old Town. The driver, 58-year-old Robert Pierce, of Westbrook, was ejected from the vehicle during the crash.
Troopers arrived quickly and rendered medical aid. Old Town Fire & Rescue transported Pierce to Eastern Maine Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Two lanes of traffic were closed. The investigation is ongoing, but speed does appear to be a factor in the crash.
Bath Man Arrested After Firing Rifle in Residential Neighborhood in Belgrade
BELGRADE—On Saturday, June 28, 2025, at approximately 5:07 p.m., troopers from the Maine State Police Central Field Troop, along with Kennebec County Sheriff’s Deputies, responded to the area of Chandler Road and Point Road in Belgrade for multiple reports of a man armed with a rifle, yelling and firing the weapon multiple times in close proximity to numerous residences. Troopers successfully located and arrested 41-year-old William Bamford, of Bath. Bamford has been charged with the following offenses:
Reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon
Aggravated trafficking of scheduled W drug
Theft by unauthorized taking
Discharging a firearm near a dwelling
Violating conditions of release
Bamford was transported to the Kennebec County Jail following his arrest. At this time, no property damage or injuries have been reported. The incident prompted a coordinated response to ensure public safety as it unfolded. Maine State Police were assisted on scene by the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, Maine State Police Tactical Team, Troop G, Troop I, Troop K, and Belgrade Fire and Rescue. If anyone witnessed this incident or has relevant information, please contact Trooper David Wicks of the Central Field Troop at 207-624-7076.
Arrest Made in 2024 Lewiston Homicide
LEWISTON—On Sunday, July 14, 2024, at approximately 10:30 p.m., the Lewiston Police Department responded to the area of 77 Rideout Avenue for reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, Lewiston police officers discovered 17-year-old Sahal Muridi, of Lewiston, deceased on the ground.
The Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit South was requested, and an investigation was commenced into Muridi’s death. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta determined Muridi’s cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head and neck, and the manner of death was homicide.
Over the past year, investigators from the Major Crimes Unit South, Maine State Police Crime Lab, Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and Lewiston Police Department identified 23-year-old Nasib Aden, of Lewiston, as being responsible for the death of Muridi.
On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Aden was indicted for murder by an Androscoggin County Grand Jury.
On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, around 7:00 a.m., Aden was arrested in Fridley, Minnesota, by members of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force. He was extradited back to Maine on Thursday, June 26, 2025, by members of the Maine Department of Corrections. Aden was arraigned on Friday, June 27, in Androscoggin Superior Court where he pleaded not guilty. Aden is currently being held at the Androscoggin County Jail.
Maine Marine Patrol Recovers Body of Sailor From Nova Scotia
ISLE AU HAUT—The Maine Marine Patrol has recovered the body of 72-year-old Thomas Kent Smith, of Nova Scotia, from the shore of Isle au Haut. Mr. Smith was sailing with two others, Robert and Sandra Comeau from New Hampshire, when their sailboat ran aground early morning, June 30. The Comeaus called 911 at approximately 3 a.m., to report that they were stranded on shore near Cape Ann Ledge on the southern end of Isle au Haut after their 40-foot sailboat began to break apart on the rocks. The Maine Marine Patrol responded and located the Comeaus and the body of Mr. Smith on the shore.
The Comeaus reported that they located Mr. Smith's body in the water after the boat broke apart, and they were able to pull him to shore where he was recovered by the Marine Patrol at approximately 5 a.m. The Comeaus reported that all three had been in the water for over an hour. All three were wearing life jackets.
Mr. Smith's body was transported by the Marine Patrol to Stonington and will be examined at an Ellsworth funeral home by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. The two survivors were also transported to Stonington and were examined and release by emergency medical personnel.
HANCOCK COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
The following are the public releases from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department. Each image can be clicked on and expanded.
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