On a spring evening in Rochester, New York, the life of 29-year-old Johnny Washington was tragically cut short. On May 26, 2015, Washington was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting at the intersection of Sixth Street and Bay Street. The incident was a senseless act of violence that would lead to a lengthy and complex legal battle.
Following an extensive investigation by the Rochester Police Department, a suspect, Terrence Lewis, was identified.
In 2017, while already serving a sentence for a federal drug charge, Lewis was indicted for the murder of Johnny Washington. He was subsequently convicted of second-degree murder in October 2018 and sentenced to 22 years to life in prison in December of that year. For a time, it seemed as though justice had been served for Washington and his grieving family.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, Lewis's conviction was overturned in February 2024. The New York Supreme Court ruled that a violation of the 1970 Interstate Agreement on Detainers Law had occurred. This law dictates the procedure for trying a prisoner who is incarcerated in another jurisdiction. While awaiting his murder trial in Monroe County, Lewis had been temporarily transferred back to a federal facility in Pennsylvania where he was serving a separate sentence. This transfer, which occurred before his trial in New York was concluded, was deemed a violation of the statute, leading to the dismissal of the murder charge.
The decision resulted in the release of Terrence Lewis from prison, a development that was met with frustration and sorrow from the victim's family and law enforcement officials. The Monroe County Sheriff acknowledged the mistake and expressed his regret to the family of Johnny Washington, who now live with the knowledge that the man convicted of his murder is free.
