In the early morning hours of October 23, 2012, the quiet town of Lamoine, Maine, was shattered by violence that claimed the life of 49-year-old Russell Lee Pinkham. A big man with a reputation for having a heart of gold, Pinkham was fatally shot at a family compound on Bobolink Lane. The incident, which unfolded around 3:30 a.m., also resulted in the death of his brother-in-law, Robert Tilden, who was 50 years old.
The two men were discovered outside the Tilden family home, where
Pinkham also resided in a separate house just a few yards away. Robert Tilden's body was found in the driveway, while Pinkham's was located in a nearby grassy area. It was determined that multiple shots had been fired, ending the lives of both men. The tranquility of the family property was abruptly transformed into a crime scene, prompting a significant law enforcement response.
The suspect in the double homicide was quickly identified as Robert Tilden's son and Pinkham's nephew, 27-year-old Leon R. Tilden. Following the shootings, a manhunt for the younger Tilden was initiated by the Maine State Police and other law enforcement agencies. The search concluded around 10 a.m. that same morning when a member of the Maine State Police Tactical Team encountered an armed Leon Tilden on the property. During the confrontation, the officer shot Leon, who was later transported to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he was pronounced dead.
Surviving family members who were present at the home at the time of the initial shootings included Leon's mother and his 22-year-old brother. A neighbor later revealed that Robert Tilden had expressed fears that his son might cause him violent harm. The Maine Attorney General's Office investigated the police-involved shooting and ultimately ruled that the officer was justified in using deadly force, believing his life and the lives of other officers were in imminent danger.
