March 7

Waterville Marine charged with violation of bail

By Craig Crosby ccrosby@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA -- A U.S. Marine who allegedly was behind the wheel during a June crash that killed his sister and her boyfriend has been charged with violating his bail by contacting a fourth person in the car that night.

Travis Lawler, 23, of Waterville, has been indicted on a charge of violating conditions of release by a Kennebec County grand jury. The charge, which was handed up Thursday in Kennebec County Superior Court, alleges Lawler contacted Dylan Desroches on Sept. 25. That was the same day a Kennebec County grand jury indicted Lawler on two counts of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated operating under the influence.

Lawler is set to be arraigned on the new charge April 1 during a hearing set on the previous four charges. He remains free on bail.

An indictment is not a determination of guilt, but it indicates there is enough evidence to move forward with a trial in superior court.

Lawler, whose family lives in Oakland, was on leave from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina when the fatal accident happened. The 2011 Toyota Corolla he was driving in North Belgrade went off the road on a curve and slammed into a tree about 11 p.m. June 16, according to police.

Lawler's sister, Kristin Lawler, 20, of Oakland, died at the scene of the crash. Her boyfriend, Jackson Bolduc, 25, of Belgrade, died at the hospital a day later.

Desroches, who was 20 at the time, was flown to the hospital with serious injuries but survived. Bail conditions banned Lawler from contacting Desroches.

Police said Lawler left the scene on foot and was found about a half-mile away on the shore of Great Pond after a resident reported a man on his property. Police were organizing a search party at the time. Lawler was taken to MaineGeneral Medical Center's Thayer campus in Waterville for treatment of cuts and scrapes.

Police said at the time that alcohol and speed were factors in the crash, but Lawler was not charged in connection with the crash until his September indictment.

Craig Crosby -- 621-5642
ccrosby@centralmaine.com

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