Independent commission to publish final report on Lewiston mass murder next Tuesday

LEWISTON (WGME) – The independent commission investigating the Lewiston massacre is expected to release its final report next Tuesday.

On November 9, 2023, Governor Janet Mills and Attorney General Aaron Frey established an independent commission of experts to investigate the facts and circumstances of the October 25 shooting in Lewiston, including the months leading up to the shooting and the police response to it.

The Commission was urged to carry out its work as publicly as possible, maintaining a sense of urgency and guided by the search for facts. Once its investigation is complete, it is expected to present an official public report with the detailed findings.

Also read: “Series of failures”: Army publishes report on investigation into Lewiston mass murder

On the night of October 25, 2023, Army reservist Robert Card killed 18 people and injured 13 others when he committed two mass shootings at Just-in-Time Recreation and Schemenees Bar and Grille in Lewiston. Card's body was found in Lisbon Falls on October 27.

The Commission published its first interim report in March.

In its March report, the commission stated that Card was solely responsible for his actions on the night of the mass shooting.

The report acknowledges that Card might have committed the shootings even if police had taken the guns from him before Oct. 25. However, the commission unanimously concluded in March that the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office had the opportunity and should have taken the guns from Card in September 2023 under Maine's Yellow Flag Law.

The March report said Sagadahoc County Sergeant Aaron Skolfield, who responded to a report that Card was suffering from a mental health crisis and had threatened to shoot at the Saco Armory, should have recognized that he had reasonable grounds to initiate the illegal attack investigation.

The commission said in March that Skolfield made only “limited attempts” to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Card. The report also said Skolfield failed to review the agency's files on past complaints about Card and also failed to seek help from other law enforcement agencies.

The commission said that when Skolfield went on vacation, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office failed to assign another deputy to take Card into custody or initiate the process of seizing Card.

The commission's report also criticized the Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office for hiring Card's family to take away his guns, saying it was “a neglect of law enforcement responsibilities.” The commission said this decision shifted law enforcement responsibility to civilians.

The report states that the sheriff's office failed to verify that the weapons were in a safe location, even though responsibility for disposing of Card's weapons was passed on to his family.

The March report also found that law enforcement had enough information to bring assault charges against Card after he attacked his friend, Sergeant Sean Hodgson, in September. The report also found that the Army Reserve did not encourage law enforcement to charge Card for threatening to have the Saco facility “raided.”

In July, a U.S. Army report was released on responses to the mental health issues of Lewiston mass shooter Robert Card.

The report cited, among other things, communication deficiencies within the chain of command and between military and civilian hospitals. Three Army Reserve officers were subsequently disciplined for dereliction of duty following the shooting.

The report cited, among other things, communication deficiencies within the chain of command and between military and civilian hospitals that had been revealed during an investigation.

The independent commission's final report will be released at a press conference next Tuesday at 11 a.m. CBS13 will broadcast the press conference live.