In the early morning hours of November 27, 2015, the city of Bangor, Maine, was rocked by a fatal shooting that claimed the life of 38-year-old Robert Mark Kennedy. The incident, which also left another man wounded, unfolded inside a duplex on Center Street. Police were called to the scene at approximately 3:30 a.m. An autopsy later confirmed that Kennedy's death was a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly, and by that evening, two suspects were in custody.
Authorities arrested Robert Hansley, 27, and Thomas Ferguson, 37, both from Brooklyn, New York, during a traffic stop. Both men were subsequently charged with murder and elevated aggravated assault in connection with the death of Kennedy and the injuries sustained by the second victim. Law enforcement officials indicated that the shooting was intended to settle a drug debt.
Both Hansley and Ferguson had extensive criminal histories in New York. Following their arrests, they were held without bail at the Penobscot County Jail. In the subsequent legal proceedings, both men were convicted for their roles in the crime. A judge found Thomas Ferguson guilty of elevated aggravated assault, determining he was an accomplice in the killing. A jury later convicted Robert Hansley of murder and elevated aggravated assault. The defense for Hansley had attempted to argue that he was merely present and that Ferguson was the one who shot and killed Kennedy.
