The death of 5-year-old Victor Lizotte in Bangor Thursday put an end to a five-year custody battle between the boy’s mother and the man said to be his father, according to family member Jean Lizotte of Millinocket.

Jean Lizotte spoke to the Bangor Daily News Thursday afternoon as she sat on the steps of the Bangor Police Department. Only hours before she had been informed by Medway police that her father, George Lizotte, was holding his son hostage on Interstate 95.

Police hoped that Jean could help talk her father into giving himself up, but she was too late. By the time she arrived in Bangor the 5-year-old boy was dead from a gunshot wound and her father was in critical condition suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Victor Lizotte had been in the custody of the state for the past four months, she said. Before that the boy’s life had consisted of battles between the two people who wanted custody of him, his father, George Lizotte, and his mother Zelma Lizotte. Zelma Lizotte is George Lizotte’s stepdaughter, Jean said.

On Thursday, George Lizotte of Medway, shot the boy to death.

Jean said her father had been granted supervised visitation rights with Victor and planned to go to Bangor Thursday for his scheduled visit. Once at DHS, however, George abducted the child at gunpoint.

The family’s relationship appeared complicated and intertwined as Jean attempted to explain the boy’s short life. She said she had always questioned whether George was Victor’s father. Despite her doubts her father continually fought for custody of the boy.

“He had always said that he would kill Zelma if he didn’t get Victor, but he didn’t — he killed Victor. I think he decided that if he couldn’t have Victor then no one could,” Jean said.

Victor was placed in state custody for a short time when he was an infant. Jean said he was abused and suffered from head injuries and was in a coma for six days when he was 7 months old.

She said he spent most of his time with George Lizotte but was placed in a foster home four months ago.

A custody hearing that had been scheduled for Wednesday was canceled and rescheduled for October. She said her father appeared to be frustrated by the delay but did not seem out of control.

“I did think it was strange last night because I couldn’t find him anywhere. He comes over to my house or his sister’s house all the time and no one had seen him. I got him on the phone once and he told me he was busy. I knew that he was up to something but I never guessed it would be something like this,” she said.

She said George Lizotte was unemployed but at one time had worked for Millinocket Public Works.