BANGOR – Aggravated attempted murder charges were filed against Bangor resident Walter Travis on Thursday in connection with a fight with his brother while police continue a separate investigation into a death they have declared a homicide.

Both incidents occurred around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The fight between Walter Travis and his brother James occurred at James’ apartment on Second Street. The body of Thomas Forni, 51, was discovered at his First Street apartment, according to Bangor Police Department Detective Sgt. Paul Kenison.

“The incident at 107 First Street has been upgraded from a suspicious death to a homicide,” Kenison said.

Multiple stab and incised wounds are listed as the cause of Forni’s death, said Sheila Thayer, administrative secretary at the State Medical Examiner’s Office.

The felony charges against Walter Travis, 27, stem from the assault against his brother and are not related to the First Street death, said Bangor Lt. Tim Reid.

According to court documents filed with the 3rd District Court in Bangor, Walter Travis hit his brother James Travis, 18, with a baseball bat in a premeditated attempt to kill him.

The court affidavit states Walter Travis picked up the bat and said, “It’s not gonna hurt; you’ve got a better body waiting for you” before hugging his brother and then striking him with the bat.

During an interview Wednesday, James Travis said he stabbed his brother in self-defense with a pocketknife after being hit with the bat, while his father Kevin Travis, who also lives in the Second Street apartment, attempted to restrain Walter Travis.

According to James Travis, Walter Travis left the apartment after being stabbed, bleeding from the abdomen and leaving a trail of blood that led to First Street.

Reid said Walter Travis was arrested at Eastern Maine Medical Center where he was treated for stab wounds he received during the fight with his younger brother. He was held under police guard until his transfer Thursday to Penobscot County Jail where he remains.

Bail for Walter Travis is set at $20,000 cash or $60,000 surety. If released, he is prohibited from contacting his brother or visiting his residence or returning to the residence he shares with his mother on Cedar Street. A probable cause hearing is set for Aug. 13.

James Travis was treated for a 5-inch laceration on his head at EMMC and later released.

In Wednesday’s interview, James Travis said his brother had said repeatedly he needed to kill someone and eat their flesh to rid his body of what he called “Goyfecals.” James said the behavior began while his brother was serving a two-year sentence for a violation of probation on a burglary charge. Walter Travis was released four months ago. James Travis also said his brother threatened a friend earlier in the week.

According to James Travis, an EMMC physician said his brother Walter was found yelling and rocking back and forth over the body of Thomas Forni. A detective told him that his brother was found in Forni’s kitchen, he said.

Forni was a friend of the Travis brothers’ father, Kevin Travis.

The shock of the homicide has hit the Forni family hard, said Jack Forni, Thomas Forni’s older brother.

“He never bothered anybody,” Jack Forni said. “He was a good kid. I saw him a couple times a month. He did odd jobs and stuff.”

The relationship between Kevin Travis and his brother was social, said Forni. “They were friendly, that’s all I know.”

He said the family is close and that his younger brother and his mother, Mary, who lives in Hancock, had a special relationship.

“They went to dinner quite frequently,” he said.

Mary Forni, 88, said, “I last saw him on his birthday, April 30th.” Recent health issues had prevented more frequent visits in the last few months, she said.

“Tom was a very nice person,” she said. “He was quiet and the people around him all liked him.”

She said her son, who graduated from Ellsworth High School and attended the University of Maine, had a love of literature and worked for many years for the state-funded bookmobile in Ellsworth. He had lived in several apartments in Bangor over the last 15 or so years, his mother said.

“He was peaceful,” she said. “He’d walk the other way if there was any trouble. He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

The person responsible for her son’s death deserves a life sentence, said Mary Forni.

“I hope they keep the guy in prison where he belongs,” she said. “Thomas suffered a very painful death.”

Tom Forni will be dearly missed by his family and friends, said his brother.

“It’s a sad situation,” Jack Forni said. “The Bangor Police Department and Ellsworth Police handled things the way they should have.”

A memorial service will be held for Tom Forni in the fall at a time when all his siblings are in Maine. Thomas Forni was the youngest of four children. One of his sisters lives in Florida, another lives in Colorado and his brother lives in Ellsworth.

The Attorney General’s Office is investigating the two cases, according to Andrew Benson, assistant attorney general.