An Aroostook County man who was convicted on two counts of murder three decades ago has died in prison.
Robert William Forrest, 72, formerly of Island Falls, died around 2:47 a.m. Wednesday at the Maine State Prison in Warren. Forrest was serving a 55-year sentence for murdering his wife and their 3-year-old son in June 1986.
Forrest began serving his sentence on May 31, 1989, according to a statement issued Wednesday by Dr. Joseph Fitzpatrick, commissioner for the Maine Department of Corrections.
Fitzpatrick said that department protocol requires that the Maine Attorney General’s Office, the Maine State Police and the state medical examiner be notified of any prisoner deaths. Fitzpatrick did not provide details on the cause of death.
Forrest was quoted in a January 2014 Press Herald story that focused on 12 inmates who had written letters to their younger selves. The letters, filled with self-recrimination, were superimposed over photographic portraits of the inmates.
Those portraits were part of an exhibit on display at the Engine gallery in Biddeford. “Reflect: Convicts’ Letters to Their Younger Selves,” was created by Trent Bell, a commercial photographer. At the time, Bell said the exhibit sought to offer viewers lessons that might prevent such crimes.
Of the 900 inmates invited to write a letter, only 12 agreed to participate.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone needs help at some point in their life,” Forrest said in a video for the exhibit. “I always thought I was strong enough and I don’t need help … and here I sit.”
Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:
Send questions/comments to the editors.
-
Editorials
View from Away: Getting out of Afghanistan after 20 years
-
Opinion
Today’s editorial cartoon
-
Things to Do
Oshima Brothers to perform in Boothbay Harbor
-
Local & State
Details of hidden misconduct raise doubts about discipline within Maine State Police
-
Community
Virtual event to benefit domestic violence resource center
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi {SUB NAME}, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have one? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login to participate in the conversation. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.