On a Friday morning in Westlake, Louisiana, the quiet of Trousdale Road was broken by a grim discovery. The body of 62-year-old Lawanna J. Lewis, a resident of nearby Lake Charles, was found in a ditch by a delivery driver on October 10, 2025. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators soon learned that Lewis, a driver for the ride-sharing service Lyft, had been working that day, and her vehicle was missing.
The investigation quickly escalated as authorities
pieced together the events leading to her death. It was determined that two men had requested a Lyft in Lake Charles, and during the ride, they allegedly shot Lewis, stole her truck, and left her body by the roadside. An alert was issued for the stolen vehicle, which was eventually located later that evening in a parking lot in Houston, Texas, setting the stage for a multi-state confrontation.
When deputies from the Harris County Sheriff's Office approached the vehicle, the two occupants fled on foot. The ensuing chase had a fatal outcome for one of the suspects, 23-year-old Ethan Bush of Boyce, Louisiana, who was struck by traffic and killed as he attempted to run across an interstate. His relative, 26-year-old Tristan A. Bush of Lafayette, was apprehended after a search involving a K-9 unit and air support.
Following his capture, Tristan Bush was taken into custody in Harris County, awaiting extradition back to Louisiana. He has since been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Lawanna Lewis. His bond was set at $2.5 million, and authorities have indicated that more charges are likely as the investigation continues. Evidence found at the scene and with the suspects has been used to link them to the homicide.
