BANGOR, ME – The quiet calm of a Maine winter shattered when first responders rushed to a home where an infant girl, just 12 weeks old, had stopped breathing. What began as a desperate 911 call for help has now become a harrowing criminal case, with a young father at the center, charged with the most serious of crimes: the murder of his own child.
Authorities took 24-year-old Shawn Samuels into custody on Jan. 17, a day after his daughter Lyla was found unresponsive inside their home. Rescue workers managed to revive the baby girl and quickly transported her to a nearby hospital, igniting hope that was soon dashed. Lyla’s condition remained unchanged, and two days after her collapse, she died from her injuries. The news sent a wave of shock and grief through Bangor and beyond.
The distressing investigation began almost immediately. Police said the details surrounding Lyla’s medical emergency prompted detectives to respond to the scene within hours. Questions swirled about what had happened during the brief but fateful time when Samuels was alone with his daughter for the very first time—a moment meant to be routine, transformed into a nightmare.
According to investigative documents, the child’s mother, Leah Collins, had recently returned to work after maternity leave, leaving Samuels responsible for Lyla’s care. He told police that while he was feeding his daughter, she suddenly stopped breathing. He burped her, he said, and while she began to draw breath again, she remained eerily unresponsive.
During the frantic moments that followed, it was a family member who dialed 911, stressing to dispatchers that Samuels was caring for Lyla alone for the first time. Emergency crews found the infant unresponsive upon arrival, triggering a rapid response that would soon turn into a criminal investigation.
Interviewed by police, Samuels insisted he had not dropped or shaken his daughter, but admitted to bouncing her on his knee and swinging her side to side. As detectives pressed him to consider if his actions might have caused harm, Samuels reportedly acknowledged the possibility, reportedly saying, “Yeah,” when asked if bouncing may have injured the baby.
Meanwhile, a forensic examination uncovered devastating injuries: Lyla suffered four fractured ribs, severe swelling and bleeding in her brain, and retinal hemorrhages. The medical examiner later concluded that the cause of her fatal brain injuries was likely due to intense shaking or abrupt movements, a pattern consistent with acceleration-deceleration trauma. With evidence mounting, the manner of death was ruled as homicide.
Samuels was initially taken into custody on charges of domestic violence aggravated assault and bail violations. With Lyla’s passing, prosecutors swiftly upgraded the charges to murder, and authorities set his bond at $250,000. He remains jailed in Penobscot County, awaiting his next court appearance in mid-February.
As the criminal case moves forward, Lyla’s family now faces the agony of her loss. Loved ones have turned to the community for support, launching a fundraising campaign to honor Lyla’s memory and cover her final expenses. The tragic events that unfolded over just a few days have left a deep, lingering sorrow—and a small town searching for answers.