Dewayne Lancaster, a 29-year-old Black/African American male from the 7200 block of Walnut Street in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, was killed shortly before 1:00 a.m. on July 26, 2016, in the courtyard of his apartment complex. Police were called to Walnut Street around 12:40 a.m. after reports of screaming and gunfire. When officers arrived, they found shell casings in the courtyard, followed a trail of blood, and discovered Lancaster face down in the bushes with multiple gunshot wounds to the
torso and head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly came to believe the shooting was not random. Upper Darby police described the killing as a planned revenge attack, with Superintendent Michael Chitwood saying the shooter appeared to have been stalking Lancaster and waiting for him to return home from work. The alleged motive traced back years earlier, when Lancaster and Lawrence A. Lucas had reportedly shared an apartment in 2008. Police said Lucas believed Lancaster had helped “set him up” in a drug case that sent Lucas to prison. Lucas had been released in 2015, and investigators believed he came back looking for revenge.
Witnesses told police they saw someone dressed in black clothing and wearing a light or white baseball cap running from the courtyard after the shooting. An officer remembered seeing a person matching that description walking quickly on Long Lane, and another officer stopped Lucas outside the 69th Street Terminal. Police said Lucas was sweating heavily and appeared out of breath. A witness was brought to the stop and said she was about 80 percent certain he was the person seen fleeing from the shooting scene.
Surveillance footage from nearby businesses helped investigators build the case. Police said video showed Lucas circling the area of Shelbourne and Calvin roads near Walnut Street in a Chevrolet Equinox. His vehicle was later found parked on Calvin Road, about a block from where Lancaster was killed. Investigators said Lucas had not been able to get back to the vehicle because officers had flooded the area after the shooting call. Police also said Lucas had the car keys in his pocket and that there appeared to be possible blood spatter on the brim of his hat. The gun used in the shooting had not been recovered at the time of the arrest.
Lucas, of the 3100 block of Magee Street in Philadelphia, was arrested and arraigned the next morning. He was charged with criminal homicide, first-degree murder, third-degree murder, illegal possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, and possessing instruments of crime. Because he was a convicted felon, the firearm allegations were especially significant. He was held without bail while awaiting a preliminary hearing.
Police also indicated they believed another person may have been involved. Chitwood said investigators believed Lancaster may have been followed by “another guy,” but police did not publicly identify that suspected accomplice at the time because the investigation was still active. Available online reporting identified Lucas as the arrested suspect and alleged shooter, but did not provide a final publicly reported trial outcome or conviction in the sources reviewed.
