Grand jury indicts man in toddler’s death

Posted March 24, 2010, at 7:25 p.m.

BANGOR, Maine — A Lawrence, Mass., man was indicted Wednesday by the Penobscot County grand jury in the death of a Bangor woman’s 15-month-old son last month.

Edgard B. Anziani, 27, was indicted on charges of murder and manslaughter in the Feb. 23 death of Damien Lynn.

Anziani was being held without bail Wednesday at the Penobscot County Jail.

He is expected to be arraigned next month at the Penobscot Judicial Center. A trial date has not been set.

Efforts to reach the state Attorney General’s Office about why prosecutors sought indictments for both murder and manslaughter were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Having Anziani indicted on both charges would allow a jury to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter if it found him not guilty of murder.

Anziani was baby-sitting when the child was fatally injured, according to police. He later told police that Damien Lynn had fallen down the stairs. The state medical examiner concluded that the boy’s injuries were not consistent with a fall and were caused by another person.

The child’s mother, Cheryl Metzger, 22, was being treated at a local hospital at the time, which is why she asked Anziani to watch the boy, police said.

Once Bangor police had enough evidence to arrest Anziani, he had fled. He was tracked to Maryland, where he was taken into custody by FBI agents. He was returned March 10 to Bangor.

If convicted of murder, Anziani faces between 25 years and life in prison. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of manslaughter.