On a tragic day in Alma, Arkansas, Donald Lewis, a 47-year-old man, became the victim of a violent crime that also claimed the life of another individual. On November 4, 2023, law enforcement responded to a call in Crawford County and discovered Lewis deceased from a gunshot wound. The investigation into his death quickly revealed it was part of a double homicide.
The second victim was identified as 57-year-old Terry Brasuell.
As investigators delved into the case, a suspect emerged: Cooper Wesley, the 27-year-old son of Brasuell. Wesley was located and taken into custody shortly after the discovery of the bodies. The Crawford County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from other local and state law enforcement agencies, was able to apprehend him without incident in the Figure Five community.
Subsequent legal proceedings brought the motive for the killings to light. During his trial, prosecutors argued that Wesley had developed a drug-induced delusion, believing he was a 'punisher' meant to exact judgment on those he thought were responsible for his mother's death. It was revealed that on the morning of the murders, Wesley had taken narcotics before stealing two guns from his father's gun case. He then proceeded to fatally shoot both his father, Terry Brasuell, and Donald Lewis.
In July 2025, a jury found Cooper Wesley guilty on two counts of capital murder. The court sentenced him to two consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would be held accountable for the deaths of Donald Lewis and his own father. The verdict brought a conclusion to the legal chapter of this devastating event that cut two lives short.
