In the winter of 2010, the life of 19-year-old John Bobby Surles, a male resident of Bangor, Maine, was tragically cut short. On the evening of January 27th, a confrontation erupted between two groups of young adults on Cumberland Street. During the altercation, Surles was fatally shot while reportedly defending a friend. He was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to a gunshot wound to the chest.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to a suspect, 18-year-old Zachary
Carr of Bangor. In the days following Surles' death, Carr turned himself in to the authorities. He was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of John Surles. Accounts from Surles' family indicated that the conflict may have stemmed from ongoing issues between the groups.
Zachary Carr was later indicted by a grand jury on charges of intentional or knowing murder and adequate provocation manslaughter. The case proceeded to trial, where the events of that fatal January night were recounted. The legal proceedings sought to bring clarity and justice to a situation that ended one young man's life and irrevocably altered another's.
