RICHMOND — There were moments on that warm, lazy summer day that seemed a bit strange — just a little odd.

Something was different.

And Dylan McMaine noticed.

But at the time, it was impossible for the 13-year-old to understand the painfully sentimental motivation behind his father’s behavior during that seemingly normal family fishing trip.

“He kept acting funny,” Dylan said. “He wouldn’t fish. He would just look at us. He went around to each of us and just tried to spend some real quality time — with in-depth conversation. He just had this weird look in his eyes like he was trying to make sure he was getting the last images of us.”

Daryl McMaine spent the entire day with his son and two daughters knowing that he would probably never see any of them again.

By the time his children went to bed that evening, he already had decided that the following day he would embark on a bold, desperate plan aimed at helping the family escape an increasingly serious financial situation.

“For some reason that night he told me he loved me twice,” Dylan said. “And I just thought, ‘He’s never done that before.’”

Those were the last words Daryl ever said to his only son.



Aug. 10, 2000

The memories of that fateful day — Aug. 10, 2000 — haven’t faded through the years.

They have stayed so very vivid in Dylan’s mind through high school, where he was a two-sport standout at Madison Central, and all during his three seasons as a member of the Eastern Kentucky University baseball team.

The events of that day have haunted him, tortured him and motivated him for eight years.

“It wasn’t something he liked to talk about or said anything about really for years,” said former Central teammate Ryan Barnes. “It wasn’t until we were in high school that he had much to say about it.”

Early that morning, Daryl, armed with a gun, robbed one local bank, then attempted to rob another a few hours later. After being pursued by police during a high-speed chase, the father of three tried to escape on foot.

He was eventually surrounded by law enforcement officers and killed himself in a field not far from his family’s farm.

Dylan, his sisters and mother had no idea what had happened.

The following day, they read a newspaper article about the incident, not knowing the unnamed suspect in the report was Daryl.

It wasn’t until the family went to file a missing person’s report with the state police that the grim reality of the situation became obvious.

“The officer came in and showed the picture to my mom and as soon as he did she started crying,” Dylan said. “I couldn’t handle it. I lost it. That was the worst day of my life.”



The ultimate sacrifice

Daryl McMaine wasn’t a perfect person, not by any means.

When he was younger, he had been in trouble with the law on more than a few occasions. His criminal history included an armed robbery charge and some drug offenses.

But, he loved his family and tried his best to provide for them anyway he could, even through the toughest of times.

“My dad was the best man I’ve ever known,” Dylan said. “Not only was he my dad, he was my best friend growing up. He was someone I wanted to grow up to be like. He was a hard worker and he was a family-first kind of guy. He loved everyone in his life.”

The family didn’t have much at times when Dylan was growing up and even food was in short supply on occasions.

When the family farm started to run into financial problems, Daryl worked a factory job to make ends meet, even after he suffered a major heart attack.

“Money became real, real tight then and he started to get kind of desperate,” Dylan said. “We didn’t know it then but he started to have chest pains again. He told a couple of his friends and we found out later that he felt like he was going to have another (heart attack).”

As the family’s financial situation grew worse, Daryl became even more desperate. Facing the possibility of foreclosure and eviction, he believed he had to find a way to provide for his family — in life or in death.

“He knew if he went back to jail this time, it would be for life,” Dylan said. “I guess he didn’t want us to have a dad who was in jail. We didn’t know at the time, but he had taken out a life insurance policy. So, he made the ultimate sacrifice. He was either going to get the money from the banks or he was going to be killed doing it so we would get the money.”



Carrying the burden

The settlement from the insurance company kept the family from slipping even further into financial ruin, but that wasn’t much consolation to a 13-year-old boy just starting the eighth grade at Clark-Moores Middle School.

Dylan kept his gut-wrenching anger pent up inside for years, only on occasion letting a small group of his closest friends see just how much of an effect his father’s tragic death had on him.

“At that age, he took a lot of the burden,” Barnes said. “He had to be the man of the house and I think he felt a lot of pressure to look after his mom and sisters. That’s tough on anyone, especially when you are 13 years old.”

Dylan tried to escape that burden through sports. But, even though he was blessed with plenty of natural athletic ability, his successes always seemed to be overwhelmed by the void left in his life.

“It was tough that first year,” Madison Central baseball coach Steve Roof said. “We weren’t really sure how it was going to turn out. Dylan kept working through it and unless you’ve had a loss like that, you can’t know the effect it has, and probably still has to this day. He became a man rather quickly.”

He also developed into a standout athlete at the high school level rather quickly. Dylan started his final three seasons at Central in the outfield and earned all-district and all-region honors.

He hit .460 during his senior season with six homers, 40 RBIs and 39 stolen bases, helping the Indians reach the championship game of the 11th Region Tournament.

“We knew he was something special when he was here,” Roof said. “He’s got the total package. He can hit, run and throw. He’s a great competitor and it’s great to see him excel at the next level and hopefully beyond.”



Mad and angry

Dylan was offered a scholarship to EKU following that sensational senior season and was scheduled to jump right into the Colonel lineup as a freshman. However, he suffered a complete tear of his hamstring and played in only 14 games, with just 16 at-bats.

The former Indian hit .261, with seven home runs while making 49 starts last season despite being slowed late in the year by another injury.

So, far this season, the 6-foot-1, 195-pounded left-handed outfielder is hitting a team-best .339 with three home runs (also the best on the team) and has started all 18 games.

“I’m not happy with my career,” Dylan said. “I’ve done well, but when I first arrived here I set the standards for myself really, really high. I wanted to be a First-Team All-OVC player and to be recognized as one of the best baseball players in America.”

Finally healthy, McMaine is enjoying a breakout season on the field.

Off the field, he’s finally starting to come to terms with the tragic events of Aug. 10, 2000.

After keeping his emotions locked away for so very long, one of the first people he opened up to was EKU baseball coach Elvis Dominguez.

“I was humbled and honored that he came to me and confided in me and was willing to share his experiences and that part of his life with me,” Dominguez said. “I hope that I was able to not only be a sounding board, but someone who can give him guidance, because he’s a special kid.”

Since then, its become easier for him to talk about the loss of his father — even if occasionally his voice trembles and he has to fight back a few tears.

“I’ve been mad and angry for a long time,” Dylan said. “Now, I’ve come to grips with it. For the longest time I didn’t resolve it. I just tried to ignore it.”



Making him proud

The pain and heartache remain after all the years and Dylan continues to be relentlessly driven by the memory of the man he looked up to.

He keeps two pictures of his father in his bedroom and thinks about him often while trying to honor his memory the best way he can — on and off the field.

“Last year, every time I would hit a home run I would point to the sky,” Dylan said. “That was for him. The question I always ask myself is would he be proud of me? I know he would be proud of me for what I’ve accomplished in baseball, but I want to know if he would be proud of me as a man.”

To the people that know him best, there is little doubt about what Dylan’s father would think of him today.

The EKU outfielder works during the offseason to help support his family and has played a major role in raising his two sisters. Despite the obstacles life has presented him, Dylan is on track to get a degree in sports management and will likely get the opportunity to play professional baseball in the future.

“He’s made himself into a success story in spite of the fact that he had ample opportunity to take the wrong path,” Barnes said. “I know his family is very proud of him. I know Daryl would be very proud of him. And as his friend, I am very proud of him.”