Orrington, Maine Man Charged with Murder for the Death of Infant

An Orrington man is charged with murder for the death of his infant daughter.

Orrington, Maine Man Charged for Death of His 12-Week Old Infant Daughter

Shawn Samuels, 24, of Orrington, was originally charged with domestic violence elevated aggravated assault, and two counts of violation of bail. He would later be charged with murder.

The charges stem from the death of 12-week-old Lyla Samuels.

Orrington, Maine Infant Death Was Allegedly a Domestic Violence Incident

A 911 call to the Penobscot Regional Communications Center on January 18,2026, reported that the infant had become unresponsive. Several agencies responded and the child was transported to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where she was declared deceased.

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An autopsy was performed at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta the next day. Officials say the cause of death is tentative pending further testing, but the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Due to the facts and circumstances of the case, the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit-North was called to investigate.

Orrington, Maine Man Charged With Murder for Death of Infant Daughter

After the autopsy, Mr. Samuels was arrested for murder at the Penobscot County Jail, where he remains in custody.

Anyone with information relevant to this case is asked to call Detective Dana Austin at 207-973-3700, extension 9.

We'll update this story as more details become available.

If you or someone you know is a victim of a crime related to domestic abuse, please call the Statewide Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-866-834-HELP.