In the winter of 2018, the city of Bangor, Maine, was shaken by the violent death of a beloved member of its community. Israel Lewis, a 51-year-old Black / African American man, was found deceased in his apartment on January 10th. The grim discovery was made by his girlfriend, who, after being unable to reach him, went to his residence and saw his body through a window, prompting a 911 call.
An autopsy later revealed the tragic truth of Lewis's demise: he had sustained two gunshot
wounds. The manner of his death was quickly ruled a homicide, launching an intensive investigation by the Bangor Police Department. This was the city's first homicide of the year, sending ripples of concern through the quiet New England community.
The investigation led police to a suspect, F. "Frank" Daly, a 29-year-old man who had recently moved to Bangor from Boston. On January 27, 2018, Daly was arrested and charged with the murder of Israel Lewis. He was subsequently held at the Penobscot County Jail.
During the trial in September 2019, the prosecution presented evidence suggesting that Daly had gone to Lewis's apartment with the intent to cause harm. A key piece of testimony came from Daly's ex-girlfriend, who stated that he had confessed to the crime. Although the defense argued that the case was built on circumstantial evidence, the jury returned a guilty verdict after a short deliberation. In July 2020, F. "Frank" Daly was sentenced to 42 years in prison for the murder of Israel Lewis, bringing a close to a case that had deeply affected the Bangor community.
