In the summer of 2020, the life of a young Black man, Randy Lamond Lewis Sr., was tragically cut short in Blytheville, Arkansas. On July 9, the 24-year-old was fatally shot, leaving a community to grapple with the sudden violence and a family to mourn an irreplaceable loss. Lewis, a factory worker and a member of Grace Life Church, was pronounced dead at Great River Medical Center in Blytheville.
The investigation into his death quickly led authorities to identify two suspects:
27-year-old Ricky Wilson and 29-year-old Roderick Wilson. In the days following the shooting, law enforcement was able to apprehend Ricky Wilson in connection with the incident. However, Roderick Wilson remained at large, prompting a search for the second individual believed to be involved in Lewis's death.
Randy Lewis, born in Memphis, Tennessee, was a father to three sons, Randy Lewis Jr., Randarius Lewis, and Cayson Harston. His death was a profound loss for his mother, Deloris Sharkey Bryant, and his wife, Carlee Harston Lewis, as well as a wide circle of extended family and friends. The young man was laid to rest at Sandy Ridge Cemetery in Burdette following a funeral service at his church, a place where he had found community and faith.
