A former Bangor man found not criminally responsible for killing a man in 2003 is allowed to move from a group home into a supervised apartment, a judge ruled Friday.
Walter Travis fatally stabbed his neighbor, 51-year-old Thomas Forni, on June 24, 2003, in the area of First, Second and Cedar streets in Bangor. He also attempted to kill his brother, James Travis, who was 19 at the time.
Walter Travis was found not criminally responsible in 2004 and committed to the legal custody of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Travis has schizophrenia, a personality disorder and multiple substance use disorders, which are in remission, Dr. Wayne Moss said Friday. In the decades since the killing, Travis has regularly taken medications, including antipsychotics, Moss said.
Travis has lived in a group home for the last five years. He spent about 10 years at Riverview Psychiatric Center after the killing. He later moved into an apartment but that right was revoked in 2021 and he had to return to a group home.
On Friday, Judge Daniel Billings granted Travis’ request to move into an apartment that is supervised 24/7 after medical professionals testified for about an hour Friday at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta. It’s unclear when Travis will be able to move into an apartment.
“This is a very positive step forward and reflects great effort by Mr. Travis,” Billings said.
Travis first heard voices around 9 years old, which is rare, Billings said. Travis needs help and supervision, which he will likely need forever, Billings said.
“There’s no question back when this case started, very tragic events occurred,” Billings said. “Mr. Travis was obviously a danger to himself and others. But, this case also shows with appropriate supervision and treatment, Mr. Travis can be safe, and can be a positive force in the community.”
Travis lived in an apartment before, but that right was revoked around 2021, and he returned to a group home, forensic psychologist Ann LeBlanc said. In the years since Travis’ privileges were slowly restored, allowing him up to six hours of daily unsupervised time in the community, with an in-person check-in required after three hours.
The new order allows Travis eight hours of unsupervised time, with an in-person check-in after four hours.
In 2004, a state expert testified that Travis believed in beings called “goyfecals” that would use tentacles to suck his thoughts out, manipulate them and put them back in his head. The beings wanted Travis to kill people so they could have the bodies.
Travis no longer hears “command voices” telling him to do things, Moss said. There is no indication Travis has delusional beliefs and he is not distracted by internal voices.
“He still hears the voices everyday but he’s grown accustomed to the voices,” Moss said.
