On a tragic morning in Decatur, Georgia, the life of Charles Alex Lewis, a 31-year-old African American male, was cut short. On January 28, 2020, Lewis was fatally wounded during an attempted armed robbery at his apartment complex on Wesley Club Drive. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators arriving at the scene discovered several shell casings in the stairwell of the apartment
building. A crucial piece of evidence, a rose gold iPhone, was found on a path leading to the building. This phone was later connected to one of the suspects. Through their investigation, police identified two individuals involved in the tragic incident.
The investigation led to the arrests of 18-year-old Antonio Lee and 20-year-old Vincent Jamal Smith. Smith was apprehended after a police pursuit of a stolen vehicle he was driving ended in a crash. Both men were subsequently charged with murder and armed robbery.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Vincent Jamal Smith pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, attempted armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony on February 26, 2024. Following a jury trial, Antonio Lee was found guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony on September 6, 2024. He was sentenced to life in prison plus five years. Investigators determined that Lee had traveled to Lewis's apartment with Smith and another unidentified individual with the intent to rob him. Surveillance footage from the area contradicted Lee's initial claim that he was at the apartment to buy marijuana and fled after hearing gunshots.
