Family plans rallies around Maine before winter for missing man

BANGOR, Maine (WABI) - Three rallies for a man who went missing in Bangor in June will take place around the state Friday and this weekend.

His family feels they are running out of time to find him before winter sets in.

The family of 38-year-old Graham Lacher has been searching for him since he walked away from Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center.

Members of the community and DEEMI Search and Rescue have also helped try to find him over the last four months.

His mother, Tammy Scully Lacher, has explained how her son is autistic and schizophrenic and needs care.

They have offered a $2,500 reward and urged residents, businesses and hunters to share flyers with his picture and messages to him.

The first rally is at the Bangor Public Library Friday, Oct. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m..

Then at Mill Park in Augusta on Saturday, Oct. 22 from 1 p.m. 3 p.m..

On Sunday, Oct. 23, the rally is near the East End Boat Launch off Cutter Street from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m..

If you see Lacher, you are asked to call police.

Earlier this month, they recently searched the Orono area after receiving a credible tip of someone fitting his description but weren’t able to find him.

You can find more information on the Missing Graham Lacher Facebook page.

Here is the full statement on the rallies:

OCT 20 2022 For immediate release. Contact: Tammy Lacher Scully (207) 322-9907

Family of missing man launches statewide effort to enlist public; three rallies scheduled

With the onset of cold weather, the family of Graham Lacher, missing since June 6, is calling new attention to the case with informational rallies to be held in three cities across the state.

“We desperately need the public’s help to find our son,” says his mother, Tammy Lacher Scully of Belfast. “It feels as though this is our last chance to bring him home before winter sets in.”

Thirty-eight-year-old Lacher, who ran from Bangor’s Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center (DDPC) while on a supervised walk, has not been seen since the day he disappeared. “Because we haven’t had a confirmed sighting of him, we have to consider the whole state our search area,” says Scully. Gatherings are scheduled for Bangor on Oct. 21, Augusta on Oct. 22, and Portland on Oct. 23.

Blaze orange hats will be distributed at the rallies for anyone actively looking for Lacher, who is diagnosed autistic and schizophrenic and may be hiding in the woods. “If you’re walking wood lines or hiking trails to look for Graham, we want you to be safe and warm,” says Scully, noting that deer hunting season will be in full swing by the end of this month. Along with the hats, searchers will receive a “tip sheet” describing Lacher and telling them what to do if they think they see him.

To additionally raise awareness in new ways, the family will distribute magnetic signs at each of the gatherings. “We have car magnets as well as workplace or school magnets— to put anywhere people congregate or to be seen in passing,” says Scully.

Scully says the events are also a way to give thanks to the many supporters who’ve spread the word and prayed for her son’s safe return. “A lot of people have seen Graham’s art and poetry on social media and have told us how much they like it,” says Scully, “so we’ve made little keepsake photo-prints for anyone who’d like one.”

Bangor’s Oct. 21 event will be held in the snack bar atrium of the Bangor Public Library at 145 Harlow St., from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Augusta’s Oct. 22 gathering will take place near the pavilion at Mill Park, 1 Water St., from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

The Portland Oct. 23 event will be held from 1 p.m.-3 p.m., near the East End Boat Launch off Cutter Street along the Eastern Promenade.

The state has issued a Silver Alert for Lacher, and a Missing Persons case has been filed (NCIC #M396825302). The family is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to Lacher’s safe return. For details, go to the Facebook page Missing Graham Lacher or contact Det. Tom Valente of the Bangor Police Department at (207) 947-7384.

Lacher has long brown hair and beard, blue eyes, black-rim prescription glasses, weighs approximately 190 pounds, and was last seen wearing dark work clothes. He is likely to run if approached, so authorities should be called and, if possible, a photo or video taken. If Lacher runs into woods, the entry point should be reported to the Maine Warden Service; he should not be pursued, as that can interfere with K9 searches.

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