Overview
- A 911 call on Jan. 16 reported baby Lyla Samuels unresponsive in Orrington, and first responders restored her breathing before she was taken to a Bangor hospital.
- Shawn Samuels, 24, was arrested on Jan. 17 on domestic violence elevated aggravated assault and two bail-violation counts, then was charged with murder after a Jan. 19 autopsy.
- The medical examiner documented four broken ribs, retinal hemorrhages and brain swelling, describing the brain bleeding as an acceleration–deceleration injury not found in a healthy infant.
- Police determined the death was a homicide and say the incident appears isolated with no ongoing public safety concern, and a relative told dispatchers the father was alone with the child for the first time.
- Family and friends have posted tributes, and a GoFundMe for Lyla’s mother has raised more than $10,000.