Lewis Newton, a 42-year-old resident of Palermo, California, was found dead on October 11, 2013. His body was discovered underneath a tarp near his home, and it was determined that he had died from a gunshot wound. The Butte County Sheriff's Office quickly classified his death as a homicide, initiating an extensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding his murder.
The investigation revealed that Newton's death was connected to a marijuana grow operation. At the crime scene, authorities found 40 marijuana plants, which were part of a Prop 215 grow. However, the exact role that the marijuana garden played in the homicide remained unclear. The murder weapon was not recovered, and the details of how Newton's body was found were not disclosed to the public. The sheriff's office remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the crime scene and the events leading up to Newton's death, focusing instead on piecing together his final hours and identifying potential suspects.
Years passed with little progress in the case until a significant breakthrough occurred in 2021. Detectives conducted additional interviews and served search warrants in Southern California, Chico, and Oroville, which led them to identify Matthew Boehm, a 36-year-old man from South Carolina, as a suspect. Boehm was accused of traveling to Palermo with the intent to rob the marijuana grow site where Newton lived and worked. During the robbery, Newton was shot and killed. Boehm was arrested in August 2021 and transported to Butte County Jail, where he was held in custody.
In February 2022, Boehm pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The Butte County District Attorney's office stated that Boehm and two associates had traveled from South Carolina to Butte County with the intention of obtaining marijuana. The robbery at the Palermo property resulted in Newton's death, bringing a measure of closure to his family and friends. Newton was remembered as a "Gentle Giant" who was always willing to help others, and a fund was established to support his surviving son.
