Maine Killer Dies After Encounter With New Jersey Prison Guards

A convicted killer from Maine has died after getting after an encounter with officers at a New Jersey prison.

The Deceased Was Serving Time for the Murder of a Readfield Man

David Silva entered an Alford plea in 2013 to a charge of murder for the death of Robert Orr, 56, of Readfield. Orr's body was found in the burned-out home he shared with his wife, where Silva and his girlfriend, Lindsay Spence, had been renting a room. WGME-TV reports Spence would later testify that she awoke to see Orr's headless body slouched in a chair just before Silva set fire to the house.

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According to Cornell University, an Alford plea is when the defendant pleads guilty while maintaining their innocence and recognizes that the prosecution likely has enough evidence to convict. A plea bargain typically accompanies Alfords.

Maine Killer David Silva Was Incarcerated at Northern State Prison in New Jersey

In a media release from Matthew J. Platkin, Attorney General for the state of New Jersey, David Silva, 46, was pronounced deceased at a hospital on December 12, 2024. Details of his death have not been released, but Platkin says his death at Northern State Prison in Newark, New Jersey followed an encounter with correctional police officers on December 3, 2024. The names of the officers and Silva's cause of death have not been released.

New Jersey's AG's Office Requires Investigations Into Officer-Involved Deaths

Investigations into a person's death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer working in an official capacity or while the decedent is in custody is standard procedure. The investigation results will be presented to a grand jury to determine whether any charges will be filed.

We'll update this story as more details become available.