A man whose body was discovered Sunday along the Kenduskeag Stream in Bangor had been out of jail since mid-April after serving a sentence on burglary-related charges.
A woman walking her dog discovered the body of Lance Bradford at about 12:20 p.m.
Bradford, 45, of Levant died of a suspected drug overdose, according to Bangor police Sgt. Wade Betters. His death is not considered suspicious.
Bradford’s body was in a small pooled area of water but not in the currents, Betters said Wednesday.
Toxicology tests to determine what drugs, if any, were in Bradford’s system are not expected to be completed for several weeks.
Bradford was released from the Penobscot County Jail on April 12, after he was sentenced to time served on charges related to three burglaries last year.
In his plea agreement with prosecutors, three burglary charges were dropped in exchange for guilty pleas to two counts of aggravated criminal mischief, a Class C crime, and one count each of criminal trespass, criminal mischief and assault, all Class C crimes.
In addition to jail time, Bradford was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay restitution. At the time of his death, Bradford, who had a long criminal history, owed nearly $8,800 in restitution.
Bradford was arrested May 5, 2021, after he allegedly broke into a home on West Broadway and assaulted the owner.
The distraught victim told officers that a man he did not know broke into his home and assaulted him. Bradford refused to leave when asked and a struggle ensued, according to police. The homeowner was able to flee to the house of a neighbor, who called 911.
Bradford was not in the victim’s home when police arrived, Betters said last year. A caller reported a man had gone into another house on the corner of West Broadway and Pier Street.
Bradford apparently went out a second floor window onto the roof. He tried to jump onto the roof of the building next door but fell between the buildings onto the ground where officers were waiting.
If Bradford had been convicted of the burglaries, he’d have faced up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. The maximum penalty for the felony to which he pleaded guilty is up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. On the misdemeanor counts he pleaded guilty to, Bradford faced up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $2,000.
