Left: Shawn Samuels (Penobscot County Jail). Right: Lyla Samuels (GoFundMe).
In a tragic turn of events in Maine, a young father faces severe charges following the untimely death of his infant daughter. Shawn Samuels, 24, is now charged with murder after his 12-week-old daughter, Lyla, was found unresponsive while under his care for the first time.
The incident unfolded on January 16 when emergency responders were summoned to a distressing scene involving the infant. Lyla, initially revived by paramedics, was quickly transported to a hospital for urgent care. However, the circumstances surrounding her unresponsiveness prompted Maine State Police to launch a detailed investigation. Due to the gravity of the situation, detectives were called to piece together the events leading up to the emergency.
Heartbreakingly, Lyla succumbed to her injuries two days later, on January 18. Subsequently, Samuels was charged with both murder and domestic violence, as per the information released by the authorities.
Details unearthed from an affidavit, as reported by the Bangor Daily News, provided more context. The affidavit reveals that Lyla’s mother, Leah Collins, had just resumed work after her maternity leave, leaving Samuels in charge of the infant. He recounted to investigators that while feeding Lyla, she unexpectedly stopped breathing. Although he managed to coax her into breathing again by burping her, she remained unresponsive.
The Boston Globe further highlighted a poignant detail from the 911 call made by a family member, who noted to dispatchers that it was the first time Samuels was left alone with Lyla.
During police questioning, Samuels denied any harmful actions towards the baby, such as dropping or shaking her. However, he did confess to bouncing Lyla on his knee and swinging her in his arms. When pressed by investigators about the possibility of these actions causing Lyla harm, Samuels reportedly acknowledged the potential risk, responding, “Yeah.”
An autopsy revealed that Lyla had four broken ribs, retinal hemorrhages, and bleeding and swelling in her brain. While a cause of death was not released, the medical examiner ruled the manner of death as homicide. The medical examiner told police that the brain bleeding was likely caused by “acceleration-deceleration.”
Samuels was initially arrested on Jan. 17 and charged with domestic violence elevated aggravated assault and two counts of violating bail. After Lyla’s death, he was charged with murder. He was booked into the Penobscot County Jail where he is being held on $250,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for Feb. 13.
Collins’ family started a GoFundMe to raise money for Lyla’s funeral and other expenses.
