Who is Robert McCoy? Maine man sentenced to eight years in prison after 4-year-old stepson accidentally shot himself dead

A man from Maine, whose four-year-old son got hold of a handgun and shot himself dead, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Friday (October 9). Robert McCoy, aged 37, was in his Lewiston flat when his stepson, Jasper Smith, found a loaded handgun before taking it to a room and shooting himself in the head in May last year.

McCoy was arrested last June

McCoy had found Smith injured in the bedroom before carrying him to his mother and calling 911. Police reported that several family members were present in the house when first responders arrived at the scene. Smith's elder brother was sleeping at the time of the incident. The child was then shifted to Central Maine Medical Center, where he died.


Following a probe led by the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit and the Lewiston Police Department, McCoy was arrested in June 2025.

Relatives raised concerns repeatedly

Relatives of the child later said that they had requested Smith be removed from the home several times due to filthy conditions and lack of care from his parents. Several family members testified they called the Department of Health and Human Services Child and Family Services to flag concerns about Smith's wellbeing before his death.

According to The Sun Journal, Smith's biological father Andrew Northam testified he attempted to reach out and get back into his son's life. "I lost my son before I ever got a chance to know him," Northam told the court.

'I deeply loved my son'

McCoy's attorney Justin Leary said his client loved and cared for his children. "He is crushed and haunted by his [Smith's] death," Leary said. "I am sorry. I failed you all. I deeply loved my son. I love you Jasper as I do my own children," McCoy said, according to the local newspaper.

McCoy pleaded guilty in Aug

In August, McCoy had pleaded guilty to charges of manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. He originally faced up to 30 years of imprisonment on the manslaughter charge.

McCoy will serve eight years in prison and an additional six years of probation, Justice Jennifer Archer decided at the sentencing hearing on Friday morning. During the probation period, McCoy is barred from interacting with children under the age of six years. He cannot possess firearms or ammunition, and also can be subject to random searches.