On the evening of October 19, 2022, the life of Nicholas Blake, a 37-year-old Black / African American man, was tragically cut short in Lewiston, Maine. Police were initially called to River Street for a robbery report. During their investigation, they discovered Blake's body inside a residence at 70 River Street. The following day, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Blake's death was a homicide.
Witnesses near the intersection of River and Oxford streets reported
hearing gunfire shortly after 7 p.m. on the night of the incident. Responding officers quickly secured the area and began evacuating residents from a nearby apartment building. An investigation by state and local law enforcement agencies was promptly launched to uncover the circumstances surrounding Blake's death.
Within days, the investigation led to the identification of two suspects. On October 21, police executed a search warrant at another River Street address and arrested 47-year-old Barry Zollarcoffer of Lewiston in connection with Blake's death. Subsequently, Andrew Stallings of Rumford was also implicated. In December 2022, an Androscoggin County grand jury indicted both men on murder charges.
Court proceedings revealed more details about the events of that fatal night. Prosecutors stated that Zollarcoffer, an acquaintance of Blake's, forced his way into Blake's apartment, pointed a handgun at him, and demanded a gun, money, and drug paraphernalia. Stallings, who is Zollarcoffer's cousin, entered the apartment after him. An eyewitness reported that as a woman tried to escape the apartment, Stallings attempted to stop her and took her phone. After she fled, a gunshot was heard from inside. Video evidence from a camera inside the apartment reportedly corroborated the witness's account and showed Zollarcoffer shooting Blake. Zollarcoffer was charged with intentional or knowing murder, while Stallings faced charges including felony murder and burglary. Stallings later pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery as part of a plea agreement and was sentenced to serve eight years in prison. Zollarcoffer was held without bail pending his trial.
