BANGOR, Maine — A vigil has been planned for a 10-year-old Bangor boy whose death was ruled a homicide.
Braxtyn Smith was brought to a local hospital Feb. 18 with life-threatening injuries. Nurses at the hospital alerted police and officials with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services about the child's condition and nature of his injuries, according to police and court records.
The boy required resuscitation before being transferred to another local hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
An investigation revealed the boy, who was homeschooled, reportedly suffered ongoing abuse in the months leading up to his death, according to court documents.
Smith's parents, Joshua Smith and Jem Bean, and his paternal grandmother, Mistie Latourette, have been charged with depraved indifference murder. All three are being held on $300,000 bail each at the Penobscot County Jail and appeared via Zoom in the courtroom Friday for their arraignment.
A candlelight vigil for Smith is planned from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Bangor Waterfront, according to an event listing on Facebook.
Matt Mckeen, who is listed as the organizer of the event, said in the event that the tragedy "hits close to home."
"No child should ever have to suffer like this," he wrote in the event listing. "We will be honoring his life that was taken way too soon."
Mckeen said he and a few others were preparing a short speech presentation for the evening.
Organizers encourage people to dress for the climate, with warm clothes, hats, and layers, and they ask for people to come in quietly.
"There will be no tolerance at all for it [shenanigans] at this event, and you will be asked to leave immediately should you decide to do so," the event post states.