The stepfather of 4-year-old Jasper Smith of Lewiston, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child Monday in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn.
Robert McCoy, 35, was arrested June 18, about a month after an investigation determined Jasper found McCoy’s 9 mm handgun inside their Pierce Street apartment in Lewiston and fatally shot himself in the head. Police said the firearm had not been secured, which led to charges that McCoy acted recklessly and endangered the child’s safety.
McCoy’s bail remains set at $300,000 with no changes requested during his arraignment. A conviction on manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The case comes after Maine strengthened its child endangerment law in 2021, which made it illegal to leave an unsecured gun around children. Prosecutors said the manslaughter charge reflects allegations that McCoy’s conduct meets the threshold of recklessness or criminal negligence.
Police were called to the 93 Pierce St. apartment around 4:55 a.m. on May 17 after reports that a child had been shot. Jasper was rushed to Central Maine Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.
McCoy’s wife and Jasper’s mother, Mikayla Smith, 27, was also arrested June 18 on unrelated warrants. Officials removed Smith’s and McCoy’s two other children from the home and placed them with relatives before moving them into state custody. Smith has not been charged in connection with Jasper’s death.
Family members said the Department of Health and Human Services visited the residence seven times before Jasper’s death after receiving reports from relatives, neighbors and health care providers about the home’s conditions.
The boy’s death drew grief and outrage in the small Lewiston neighborhood. Dozens of family, friends and neighbors held a vigil days after the incident, many placing stuffed animals, candles and flowers near the apartment building. Some called for accountability and criticized state officials for not acting sooner.
