Maine
Contentious Belfast family lobster pound lawsuit makes it to Maine high court
On the day before he died, Robert R. Young appeared to have made a dramatic change to his will.
A handwritten note, labeled as a last will and testament, said the 82-year-old widower wanted to auction off his family’s seafood restaurant in Belfast and donate the proceeds to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
His son Bob later told a court he had seen the document and talked to his father on that day in 2017.
The new will would have meant disinheriting Young’s other son, Raymond, who had been set to keep Young’s Lobster Pound and Seafood Restaurant under their father’s first will. That original document, which was prepared by an attorney and notarized in 2000, also matched their mother’s will. She died a couple of months before their father.
Young’s three children have spent more than eight years in two different courts, debating the legitimacy of that 2017 document. A superior court judge ended Raymond Young’s lawsuit against his siblings in 2022, finding he failed to prove his claims that they had coerced their father into disinheriting him. Then in 2025, a probate judge sided with Raymond Young, ruling that the handwritten document could not be considered their father’s final will and testament.
Now, Maine’s highest court will weigh in on the future of Robert Young’s estate and restaurant. Oral arguments are scheduled for Thursday.
Bob Young and his sister, Dianne Parker, argue that the case highlights a question about jurisdictional boundaries — why argue something in superior court if it can be revived in probate court?
The process and outcome, their attorney F. David Walker wrote in court records, “offends nearly every stated goal of our judicial system, including finality, economy, comity and fairness.”
Walker did not respond to a request for comment, and Parker declined to discuss the case ahead of the high court’s decision. Bob Young did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Raymond Young’s attorney has argued that the probate judge’s ruling was distinct because that court holds “exclusive jurisdiction” over contested wills.
Waldo County Probate Judge Joanna Owen wrote in her order, which was appealed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, that there were several reasons to not consider the handwritten document as Robert Young’s final will, including the fact that his signature didn’t match how he had signed earlier documents, and that the new plans were a departure from those he had laid out in his earlier will.
Robert Young’s attorney and others who knew him testified that they had not been informed of any plans to sell his business, Owen wrote. She also noted that his children had described him “as a man who made clear his opinions and positions.”
“Nothing was lining up,” Raymond Young told a reporter on Tuesday.
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
Before Sept. 30, 2017, the plan was for Raymond Young to take over the restaurant that he had managed for his father since 2000 and all of his father’s real estate, and for Parker to inherit their father’s banking accounts, according to court records. Stocks and bonds were to be divided between the two.
In the will drafted in 2000, Bob Young was left with $1 — he had been estranged from his father for many years before reconnecting after their mother’s death in July 2017 following a long illness, according to court records.
Claire and Robert Young had been married more than 60 years. Before Robert Young died on Oct. 1, 2017, he wrote at the end of a note that he “shall go and be with the love of my life into eternity, where I’ll belong.”
Bob Young has said he was there on Sept. 30, 2017, after his father wrote the new document. Their father appeared to demand that Raymond Young and his family be fired, the business be auctioned off, according to court records.
Owen also considered three other handwritten sheets, which appeared to be signed by Robert Young and were undated. In those, Robert Young left a $90,000 bond to Bob Young. Owens wrote that Robert Young had mentioned this plan to his attorney in August 2017, and her order states that Raymond Young did not oppose Bob Young receiving the bond.
According to Bob Young’s lawyer, Robert Young asked his son to take a picture of the document on his phone. Bob Young testified in court that his father told him he planned to bring the document to his lawyer that Monday.
Raymond Young and a friend found Robert Young’s body the following morning and called police. According to court records, Raymond Young testified that he had instructed the friend to hide a handwritten note found on a table so that his death “didn’t look like a suicide.”
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled in 2017 that Robert Young had died by suicide. In 2018, according to court records, his cause of death was amended to “undetermined” because no toxicological samples were taken before he was embalmed. A spokesperson for the state medical examiner’s office said on Wednesday that finding still stands.
Raymond Young, suspicious about the nature of his father’s death, asked both the superior and probate court judges to let him exhume his father’s body and investigate. Both requests were denied.
Raymond Young had alleged that his brother was responsible for his father’s death, or had a role in what happened. He said that his siblings, including his sister, “coerced or wrongfully influenced” their father into changing his estate plan to disinherit Raymond Young. Justice Robert Murray ruled that Raymond Young had presented no evidence of that.
“These were conspiracy theories,” Walker, the attorney for Bob Young and Dianne Parker, wrote in court records. “There is not now, and never has been, a scintilla of evidence supporting the claims.”
PROBATE RULING
Walker wrote in court records that his clients had been relieved after Murray’s ruling.
Murray also wrote in his 2022 order that certain issues were still left to the probate court — while Raymond Young hadn’t proven to him that he had “possessory right” over his father’s property, the probate petition he had filed in 2017, seeking to become executor of his father’s estate, was still pending.
The probate case was paused until after the superior court ruling, when Raymond Young began asking for some of the same things that Murray had denied.
Walker wrote in court records that his clients “believed that their ordeal was over” after Murray’s decision.
“The breadth and thoroughness of the Superior Court’s decision surely resolved and finally disposed of all claims Raymond had brought, or could have brought,” Walker wrote. “This relief, however, was short-lived.”
Owen, the probate judge, moved forward with a trial in August 2025 because she felt there were enough facts in dispute.
In her order, she focused on the handwritten document. Owen ruled that Raymond Young had not shown evidence that the handwritten note was fraudulent, but wrote that there was “ample evidence” that Bob Young had inflamed the situation by suggesting that his brother was planning to sell the lobster pound.
Even if it had been written exactly as Bob Young testified, Owen wrote, it could not be considered their father’s final will. According to the order, the testimony from Bob Young that their father told him that he planned to bring the document to his lawyer suggested Robert Young thought there was still work to be done to finalize the document.
She ruled that there was no evidence that Robert Young meant for it to be final.
Now, the appeal of Owen’s ruling will go before the state’s supreme court, which will take the issue under advisement after oral arguments.
IF YOU or someone you know is in immediate danger, dial 911.
FOR ASSISTANCE during a mental health crisis, call or text 888-568-1112. To call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
FOR MORE SUPPORT, call the NAMI Maine Help Line at 800-464-5767 or email [email protected].
OTHER Maine resources for mental health, substance use disorder and other issues can be found by calling 211.
KENNEBUNK, Maine (WGME) — A 4-year-old girl is recovering after firefighters say she nearly drowned in a hotel pool in Kennebunk.
It happened at the Hampton Inn Saturday at around 9:30 p.m.
Kennebunk Fire Rescue says it got a call for someone not breathing.
When first responders got there, they say they found a 4-year-old in cardiac arrest after almost drowning.
That girl was flown to a Portland hospital, and she remains in critical condition.
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The cause of the incident is unclear at this time.
A 4-year-old girl is in critical condition after being pulled from a hotel pool in Kennebunk, Maine, on Saturday morning.
The Kennebunk Fire Department said it was dispatched to the Hampton Inn, at 6 Independence Drive, around 9:30 a.m. for a child not breathing. Firefighters and EMS arrived on scene and found a 4-year-old girl who was in cardiac arrest after a near drowning incident in the hotel pool.
Immediate and extensive resuscitative efforts were provided on scene, according to the fire department. The girl was taken by ambulance to MaineHealth Biddeford and then flown by medical helicopter to MaineHealth Portland, where she was in critical condition.
The circumstances surrounding the incident were not immediately provided.
This incident is under review, the fire department added, noting that additional information is not being released at this time out of respect for the family’s privacy.
The fire department is also offering these pool and water safety tips for the summer season: “Protect Children – Phones Down Eyes Up.”
- Always actively supervise: designate a sober, attentive “water watcher” within arm’s reach of young children. No phones or distractions.
- Use barriers: ensure pools have four-sided fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates; keep doors and gates locked.
- Life jackets: young or inexperienced swimmers should wear U.S. Coast Guard–approved life vests near water.
- Swim lessons & skills: enroll children in age-appropriate swim lessons and teach basic water safety early.
- Know the environment: at hotels, check for lifeguards, pool depth markers, rules, and hazards; never assume someone else is watching.
- No diving in shallow water; no running or rough play near the pool.
- Remove toys from the pool when not in use—don’t leave items that attract children.
- Learn CPR: caregivers and hotel staff should be trained in infant/child CPR and rescue breathing. If someone is unresponsive and not breathing, call 911 immediately and begin CPR.
- Drain safety: keep hair, clothing, and body parts away from drains; teach older kids about the danger.
For many hunters, drawing a Maine moose permit is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. After years — and sometimes decades — of applying, the excitement of seeing your name among the winners quickly turns into a new challenge: planning for the hunt.
Whether you’re going on your first moose hunt or preparing for another trip into the Maine woods, there are several important steps permit winners should take as soon as possible.
Hire a registered Maine guide
Many permit winners hire a registered Maine guide to help locate a moose, scout hunting areas and navigate unfamiliar country. You’re paying for their knowledge, experience and time spent scouting before the season ends. Even if you’re a Maine resident, hiring a guide should be a consideration. Most hunters don’t have the time to make multiple scouting trips, and trail cameras aren’t always an option because cell service is limited or nonexistent in many hunting areas.
If you’re considering hiring a guide, don’t wait too long. Available openings often fill up the night of the lottery.
Book lodging for your moose hunt
Sporting camps, cabins, campgrounds and hotels near popular moose hunting areas will also fill up quickly. If your hunt will take place hours from home, securing lodging should definitely be one of your first priorities. Waiting until summer will leave you with fewer options and a longer commute to your hunting area.
Find a meat processor
The state maintains an official list of moose meat processors. The last thing you want to be doing is calling around on a warm September day trying to find a butcher willing to take your moose. Processors can only handle so many animals each season, and much like guides and lodging, many fill their schedules quickly. Calling ahead and having a plan in place can save a lot of stress after a successful hunt.
Line up your hunting partners and helpers
If you’re not hunting with a guide, it’s helpful to know who will be accompanying you. Aside from sharing the experience, friends and family can help scout, call, spot animals, film the hunt and retrieve a harvested moose.
How will you retrieve the moose?
Depending on where the animal is harvested, you may need an ATV, side-by-side, trailer, winch, ropes or other equipment to retrieve it. Keep in mind that ATVs and side-by-sides are prohibited in the North Maine Woods, so you may need to quarter and pack the moose out instead. In that case, game bags, packs, knives and saws will be essential, while items such as a jet sled or game cart may help make the job easier.
Gather your moose hunting gear
In addition to your weapon, consider what you’ll need for the hunt itself. Tarps, coolers, headlamps, GPS units, an inReach, radios, rain gear and extra fuel can all make a hunt more comfortable and efficient.
If you’re planning on getting away from the roads, you may need or want a wall tent. You’ll also need cots or other sleeping gear, a heating source, water, cooking gear and emergency supplies. A spare tire, jumper cables, chainsaw and basic tools can also be invaluable when traveling remote logging roads.
Prepare for meat care and transportation
Make plans to have coolers, ice, transportation and storage well before opening day.
Sight in your rifle or practice with your bow
Don’t be the hunter who misses because their scope was 8 inches off, got bumped during travel or hasn’t been checked since last season. Confirm your rifle is properly sighted in before the hunt, and shoot again after arriving in camp. Stock up on ammo and spend time practicing from realistic field positions.
Don’t overlook shooting sticks, either. Many hunters regret leaving them behind. Shot opportunities are often farther than expected, and a stable rest can make all the difference when anticipation and excitement start to take over.
The same applies if you choose to bring a bow. Reps, shooting from different positions and accurately judging distance can all improve your chance of success.
Scout your zone
If you don’t hire a guide, make sure you’re familiar with your hunting area. Not only will you likely run into other hunters during the week, you may arrive at your preferred spot only to find another truck already parked there. Having backup options is key.
Conditions also vary dramatically from year to year, so what worked for hunters last season may not work this fall.
Depending on the weather, moose may be farther away from roads, requiring hunters to do more walking. Last September’s hunt saw lower success rates in every wildlife management district compared to 2024.
Moose biologist Lee Kantar noted that drought conditions and slightly earlier September dates can lead to changes in moose behavior. Drought and warm weather likely affect moose movement, feeding patterns and activity levels, resulting in moose staying closer to areas with moisture and green vegetation.
“If bulls are not widely searching for cows, if bulls and cows are bedding or ruminating more in dark growth during the day, and if hunters do not adjust and ‘go in after them’, then success will drop,” Kantar said
The same challenges can affect October hunts.
Study maps, use onX, review aerial imagery and learn access roads before the season begins. Many logging roads shown on maps are no longer passable or have been blocked off.
Prepare physically for the hunt
Even hunters who plan to hunt from roads may end up walking several miles in a day.
Just getting into a producing moose area can require long walks down logging roads, skid trails or old cuts. Moose hunting can be physically demanding, with long days outdoors, rough terrain, bugs and heavy lifting. Spending a few months improving your fitness can make the experience more enjoyable.
Create a checklist
Make a list of everything you’ll need including licenses, permits, firearms, ammo, retrieval equipment, coolers, camping gear, food, water and emergency supplies. The more organized you are, the smoother the hunt is likely to be.
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