Lewiston Reports

The Maine State Police understands the profound impact the Lewiston tragedy has had on the community. Our hearts continue to go out to the victims and their families as they navigate this difficult time.

In our commitment to transparency and public awareness the Maine State Police has released a comprehensive collection of documents related to the tragic events that occurred in Lewiston on October 25, 2023. The more than 1000 documents include investigative reports from the Maine State Police as well as other law enforcement agencies who assisted in both the response and the investigation. Documents from other entities involved in the situation have also been included. We warn you these materials contain sensitive and graphic content and may be distressing to the reader.
 
Records that have been designated confidential by Maine and Federal statues have been redacted. 
 
This initial release of public records includes only written or documentary material. We will continue to review other forms of records – audio, video, photographic recordings – and any written records received hereafter and release them after applying this same standard.

Maine State Police Explanation for Releasing Public Records

The release of public records by State agencies is controlled by Maine’s Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) which can be found at 1 MRS §§400-521.  FOAA is a robust law designed to ensure an informed citizenry and to hold the governors accountable to the governed.  Generally, most government records are public records, unless they are designated confidential by another law.  Some examples of other laws which define records as confidential are the Intelligence and Investigative Record Information Act (16 MRS §§801-809), the Emergency Services Communication Act (25 MRS §§2921-2935), and the Medical Examiner’s Act (22 MRS §§3021-3035).  In addition to these laws from the legislature, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court has provided guidance on which records are public and which confidential and how to resolve the conflict that exists between the public interest in open access to governmental record, on the one hand, and the protections provided by confidentiality statutes on the other hand.  With these principles in mind, the MSP has reviewed the records collected as part of the investigation and determined that the records on this webpage are appropriately to be released to the public – whether complete or with confidential information redacted.