Maine woman seeks answers months after significant other’s assault, death in Hermon

HERMON, Maine (WABI) - A Bangor woman is grieving after the sudden death of her significant other late last year.

Months later, Selene DiNapoli says she’s still looking for answers.

In a Facebook post from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office last December, deputies said they were looking for information after a serious assault at a Hermon apartment complex. Selene DiNapoli said the victim in the case was her significant other, John Haney, and just four days after the post, he died.

DiNapoli believes someone caused Haney’s death and is concerned police are not taking the case seriously enough.

“Someone killed him, is what I believe,” DiNapoli said.

The incident

John Haney, 63, of Hermon died unexpectedly at his apartment on Sunday, Dec. 27.

“Monday he was out Christmas shopping,” DiNapoli said. “And then he texted me Tuesday morning saying that he was attacked.”

DiNapoli said after a day of holiday errands, Haney went to a bar in Brewer for drinks. He told her he got drunk and someone there called him a rideshare home. The next time she saw him was in a hospital bed.

“I went in to see him and his head was split open,” DiNapoli said. “He thinks he was hit by a tire iron or something, and he had two broken bones in his neck, or a couple. He was in bad shape.”

DiNapoli said Haney told her he did not see who attacked him, but because of how quickly it happened after he got out of the car, he believed it was his rideshare driver.

“He said [it happened] pretty much right away,” DiNapoli said. “He said, once he started walking, someone just hit him from behind.”

“John said he passed out. And then he came to and walked to his apartment and was able to call 911,” DiNapoli said.

The aftermath

According to DiNapoli, Haney had surgery on his neck that Wednesday, Christmas Eve, and was discharged Friday, Dec. 26. The next morning, she could not reach him by phone.

“I went over at 11 a.m. and found him,” DiNapoli said.

“It was very eerie quiet. So, I went upstairs, and I didn’t see his head on the pillow, but I saw blood. And then I opened the door and he was like kneeling beside his bed. And I could tell he passed because he was very stiff. I yelled his name and called 911,” DiNapoli said.

More than three months later, DiNapoli said she still has more questions than answers.

“It’s been so stressful. It’s just, it’s hard to work. It’s hard to be happy. It’s just, that’s on my mind constantly,” DiNapoli said. “How I saw him in the hospital, how I found him, it’s just horrible. It’s horrible. He died a horrible death.”

The investigation

The case is now in the hands of State Police. DiNapoli had limited communication with an investigator, but after the station reached out with questions, a supervisor told her they would no longer be giving her any information.

According to an email from State Police to DiNapoli, they told her this is in accordance with Maine law as she is not Haney’s next-of-kin.

“How do you go about day-to-day missing John and not knowing these answers?” we asked DiNapoli.

“It’s taken a toll because we don’t have answers. I just feel like he’s on the back burner,” DiNapoli answered.

She wants to know more about what happened at the bar. She also wants to know if police are still looking into how Haney was injured in the first place and if any charges are coming.

“Do you think that getting the answers will help put your mind at ease?” DiNapoli was asked.

“I think it’ll help, yeah,” DiNapoli said.

State Police did not respond to repeated requests for an update on the status of John Haney’s death investigation.