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Autopsy: Dead man shot 4 times in back

LISBON – Quinton Lewis, accused of killing his half-brother by shooting him four times, was bound over to the Columbiana County grand jury on Monday.

The action came following testimony by Salem Detective Brad Davis at a preliminary hearing in Columbiana County Municipal Court.

Lewis is charged with murder, an unclassified felony charge, for the Dec. 21 shooting death of Marion Lewis in the kitchen of a Walnut Street home in Salem, where other family members live.

Davis testified Marion Lewis was found by a Summit County coroner investigator to have four gunshot wounds, all entering his body from behind. Two were to his thigh, another was in his buttocks and a fourth was to the back of his head. The fourth shot is believed to be the fatal one, Davis said.

“So the autopsy confirmed the victim was shot four times from behind,” county Prosecutor Robert Herron asked, to which Davis agreed.

After the shooting, police found Marion Lewis lying dead on the kitchen floor and Quinton Lewis in the yard behind the home.

According to Davis, another Salem detective, David Talbert, interviewed Quinton Lewis twice, once at the Salem police station and once at the sheriff’s office.

During the first interview, Quinton Lewis reportedly told police he and his brother had gone to Cleveland to visit other family members and Marion Lewis drove. After arriving in Salem, Quinton Lewis, said an argument started about who would pay for the gas and his brother had produced a handgun.

According to his first story, the two wrestled for it and it went off. Quinton Lewis reportedly told police he then took the gun and put it in the Chevy Malibu, where it was later recovered by police along with Quinton Lewis’ cell phone. The keys to the Malibu were on top the roof.

The vehicle belongs to Patty Lewis, another relative who lived at the home. It was reportedly blocked in the driveway by Marion Lewis’ pickup. The gun was a 9mm handgun and Davis testified three shells to a 9mm handgun were found near the body.

Davis testified about some problems with Quinton Lewis’ initial story, one of those being there were no injuries to Quinton Lewis.

At a second interview Talbert reportedly told Lewis the evidence being uncovered by the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, as well as members of the Columbiana County Homicide Task Force, showed it did not happen as Lewis had said.

At that point, Davis said Lewis admitted to shooting his brother, firing four shots from about three or four feet away, but claimed he shot him in the front. He also reportedly told detectives the argument was about drugs.

Davis said Marion Lewis’ body was found in the threshold of a door into the kitchen about five or six feet from the back door. Quinton Lewis was found in the back yard by police responding to a call by neighbors about shots being fired at 4:09 a.m Dec. 21.

Statements were taken by investigators from other witnesses at the home, Mark Lewis Sr., Patty Lewis, Mark Lewis Jr., all three who live there, as well as a Suzanne Jones and D’Andres Stevenson who were reportedly at the house at the time. Davis said other statements supported the story that Quinton Lewis shot Marion Lewis.

Quinton Lewis’ court-appointed defense attorney, Robert Bricker, questioned Davis about whether there were any other items found which could have been used as a weapon. Davis said there was a baseball bat found in the pickup.

Bricker also questioned him about reported injuries to the uncle, Mark Lewis Sr.

Davis said the uncle was conscious and in the back seat of one of the police cruisers when he arrived at 4:35 a.m., after other police answered the initial call.

Finally, Bricker also asked whether there was a smell of gasoline or natural gas in the home. Davis said he did not notice one when he arrived at the scene.

Lewis remains in custody on a $1 million bond.

When questioned by Judge Carol Robb about the bond, Herron listed a lengthy criminal record for Quinton Lewis, stating to his knowledge he has three prior domestic violence charges, a felony trafficking charge, a felony possession charge and misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, menacing and discharging a firearm over a premises.

djohnson@mojonews.com

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