Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 17 of 17

Thread: Howard Wayne Lewis - Texas Death Row

  1. #11
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    4,795
    Crawford died via blow from hammer, medical examiner says

    By Joseph Brown
    The Huntsville Item

    Shanta Crawford had multiple fatal lacerations that were similar to injuries from a hammer, a medical examiner testified Wednesday.

    Crawford, 55, was a victim in a double-homicide on July 24, 2013 that left herself and her grandson — 16-month-old Aiyden Benjamin Lewis — dead at their residence on M. Williams Rd. in Walker County.

    Jurors heard from both medical examiners, along with the county sheriff and chief investigator in the third day of a capital murder case for Howard Wayne Lewis, the child’s father.

    Lewis, 55, is accused of hanging his infant child from a doorknob and beating the child’s grandmother do death.

    Veasey, the former director at the Montgomery County Forensic Science Center, did the autopsy for Crawford. He stated that she had lacerations along her eyebrow, a deep hole-like laceration on her cheek and multiple large lacerations on the top of her head.

    “The wounds were consistent with lacerations from a hammer,” Veasey told the jurors. “It is not definite, but similar to photos from known hammer injuries.”

    Veasey also testified that there were multiple skull fractures, including fractures of the orbital plate, which could only be obtained by significant force. He stated that the official cause of death was blunt force trauma and homicide.

    “I was not able to determine the wound that caused death, with multiple injuries that could be fatal by themselves,” Veasey added.

    He also stated that the suspected death from a hammer would suggest that the person was in close proximity and blood would possibly be projected.

    Lucile Tennant, the former assistant medical examiner at the Montgomery County Forensic Science Center, also told the jurors about her findings from an autopsy of Aiyden.

    Tennant testified that the knot on the rope was extremely tight around Aiyden’s neck. She told the jurors that Aiyden died of asphyxiation due to hanging, which is an interruption or insufficient oxygen to the brain. She stated that in general a death in this manner is not instant and it would take minutes before a person would die.

    Tennant added that the injuries were consistent with someone pulling the rope slowly, not an instant drop.

    Sheriff McRae testifies

    Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae said he arrived on the scene during the early stages of processing by investigators. He stated that once he arrived he requested assistance from the Texas Rangers and Montgomery County Investigative Services.

    “I entered the home to the dining area and witnessed Mrs. Crawford on her back with her head towards a corner of the cabinets and her feet extended out,” McRae said “It was obvious she had substantial head wounds and a lot of blood was around her and mixed with the water. It was apparent a very violent assault took place.”

    He testified that he created an investigative team with investigators from multiple departments that collaborated on the case every day.

    Chief investigator begins testimony

    The chief investigator for the crime, Detective Greg Williams with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, began his testimony telling his view of the day’s events.

    Williams stated that he noticed a crack in the door frame of the home when he entered and went to aid with cutting down the rope that hung Aiyden. Williams stated that he held Aiyden as other officers cut the rope, so he wouldn’t crash to the floor. He said that he stayed with Aiyden the entire time until his body was secured in a body bag. He then proceeded to the kitchen and upon inspection noticed blood everywhere from the ceiling to the sink backsplash and the cabinets.

    Upon further inspection of the home Williams said that the master bedroom looked like it had been tossed. However, he felt it was staged, with a firearm and $2,100 in plain sight.

    “It looked like someone staged it to make it look like a home invasion,” Williams told the jurors.

    He said that a clothes basket and multiple towels that were previously in the kitchen were reported missing, but nothing of value was taken that is typical of home burglary.

    The next day he attended the autopsy in Montgomery County and was then instructed to go to the Dallas area to make contact with Lewis.

    A recording of the interview between Williams and Lewis was played, but no questioning followed as court was recessed. The case will reconvene today at the Walker County Courthouse.

    http://www.itemonline.com/news/local...64c49fa8f.html

  2. #12
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    4,795
    Testimony ends in Lewis murder trial

    Joseph Brown
    Huntsville Item

    Testimony in the capital murder trial of an Arlington man stemming from a 2013 double-homicide concluded Friday morning, a quiet ending to a trial that has been heated for two weeks.

    Defensive attorneys for Howard Wayne Lewis, 50, did not call any witnesses on Friday, but put three documents into evidence that attempted to point at other potential offenders. Prosecutors say that Lewis hung his 16-month-old son Aiyden and beat the child’s grandmother Shanta Faye Crawford to death with a hammer at her home on M. Williams Rd. on July 24, 2013.

    In a continued testimony from the prior day, lead defense attorney Frank Blazek presented former Walker County Sheriff’s Office investigator Danny Billingsley with three documents from a complaint that Crawford filed against her ex-husband Donald Jenkins.

    The records were about a verbal dispute in 2000, pertaining to ownership of a vehicle. Blazek was trying to present Jenkins as an alternate suspect.

    Prosecutors also called two more witnesses on Friday, one of which confirmed cell phone records showing a five-hour dark period on Lewis’ phone on the day of the double-homicide. Cell phone expert Brick McDaniel testified that with over a five-hour gap during the morning hours, Lewis would have had roughly fourteen and a half minutes to commit the murders.

    Lewis’ cell phone records also showed a similar blackout on his phone on June 18, a time he was known to have unexpectedly visited the Crawford’s at their home.

    “It is possible that Lewis could have been home, however unlikely because of the cell phone gaps,” McDaniel told jurors.

    He admitted that distance from towers, certain roofs and areas heavily forested could result in this.

    In the final testimony of the day, former Texas Ranger Steven Jeter recounted the scene after serving as an investigator on the case.

    “It was like a scene from a movie,” Jeter said. “You may see stories like this from Dallas or Houston, but this type of crime does not happen in Walker County. It was brutal...There was blood everywhere, on the walls, on the ceiling. It looked like she was killed by a shotgun blast.

    “Seeing a hanging baby is a visual I’ll never forget.”

    Jeter stated he chased down all the leads, but the defense was not convinced. The defense showed that Jeter did not record or take notes during an interview with one of Lewis’ girlfriends, Katrina Butler. They also claimed that he failed to file the report until a month later.

    Closing statements are expected to take place on Monday, with District Judge Donald Kraemer expecting deliberations to begin by the afternoon. He also informed jurors that they may be sequestered during the deliberation process.

    https://www.itemonline.com/news/loca...3b550a39a.html

  3. #13
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    4,795
    Jury finds Lewis guilty

    By Joseph Brown
    The Huntsville Item

    A Walker County jury has found Howard Wayne Lewis guilty of capital murder in the death of his 16-month-old child.

    Lewis was charged for the murder of his son Aiyden Lewis on July 24, 2013, after the child was found hung from a bathroom door. Prosecutors also accused Lewis in the death of the child’s grandmother Shanta Faye Crawford, who was beaten-to-death with a hammer at the same time.

    A sentencing hearing will begin Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the Walker County Courthouse.

    https://www.itemonline.com/jury-find...50d037526.html

  4. #14
    Administrator Helen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    20,875
    Victim's mother takes stand in sentencing hearing

    By Joseph Brown
    The Huntsville Item

    It's been over five years since the tragic hanging of a Walker County infant.

    The mother of the child, who died that day, took the witness stand on Friday during the sentencing phase of the Howard Wayne Lewis capital murder trial.

    Tiffany Crawford lost her 16-month-old child Aiyden Lewis and her mother Shanta Faye Crawford in one of the most violent homicides in Walker County history. Lewis was found guilty by a jury of hanging the child on Monday, with charges not being prosecuted for her grandmother's death.

    “It’s a non-ending nightmare that never ends,” Crawford told the jurors. “Pure hell doesn’t halfway describe what it has been like.”

    She went on to state that her relationship with Lewis before the murders was love-hate.

    “As long as I was nice to him, Aiyden would get stuff,” Crawford added. “If I didn’t sleep with him, Aiyden didn’t get anything.”

    Prior to the murders she stated that they hated each other.

    “I thought he was going to take Aiyden from me and not bring him back,” Crawford said. “Now I hate his guts and wish that I would receive a phone call that he is dead.”

    Prior testimony on Friday gave jurors a psychological background on Lewis. Dr. Darryl Turner, a forensic psychologist, told jurors that he was struck by the psychopathic tendencies of Lewis. Turner evaluated Lewis’ behavior based on the case, family and relationship history, along with interviews of witnesses and Lewis’ prior offenses.

    According to Turner, he could not give a medical diagnosis because of American Psychological Association guidelines, as he had not directly evaluated Lewis. Defense attorney Frank Blazek tried to delay the testimony to bring in defense psychological expert from Austin, however that motion was denied by District Judge Donald Kraemer.

    Turner pointed to Lewis’ older children, relationship with others and the condition of the bodies as an indication of psychopathy.

    “I am certain, based on a reasonable degree of medical certainty that these patterns in Lewis’ personality and behavior point to psychopathy.”

    Turner determined that Lewis’ time in prison including the codes, phone calls and threats towards Stroud are especially alarming. Turner concluded saying Lewis’ abuse of his children and threats to send them back to Jamaica show a clear lack of empathy.

    Captain Tim Whitecotton also testified on Friday, that he anticipated issues because of the deputies’ contact with former cellmate Greg Cunningham. He stated that he did not personally receive the letters from Cunningham and that he had no knowledge of anyone contacting Cunningham to talk.

    “I have worked in law enforcement for 31 years, and I’ve never had anything to do with placing inmates in specific cells,” Whitecotton said.

    The prosecution is expected to rest on Monday as the sentencing hearing continues at the Walker County Courthouse, with defense witnesses expecting to last through Friday.

    https://www.itemonline.com/news/loca...7e96f90a2.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  5. #15
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    4,795
    Lewis given death penalty

    The Huntsville Item

    A Walker County jury of 10 women and two men unanimously voted to punish Howard Wayne Lewis with the death penalty after over four hours of deliberation.

    Lewis was convicted of capital murder by the same jury two weeks prior.

    https://www.itemonline.com/news/lewi...cc916ec6d.html

  6. #16
    Moderator Ryan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Newport, United Kingdom
    Posts
    2,454
    Lewis entered Texas' death row on 11/12/18.

    https://offender.tdcj.texas.gov/Offe...n?sid=50373271

  7. #17
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    7,318
    Oral arguments in Lewis’ direct appeal are scheduled for June 21, 2023.

    https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1456451/6-21-23.pdf
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •