On a spring evening in West Point, Utah, a gathering that began with playful energy took a tragic and fatal turn, ending the life of 29-year-old Randy Lennell Lewis, a Black/African American male from Kansas City, Missouri. On March 15, 2015, Lewis was visiting the home of his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Green, and their two children. Also present at the house was Green's current boyfriend, 21-year-old Jory Arlow Fenstermaker of Ogden.
The evening was initially amicable, with reports indicating that Lewis and Fenstermaker were drinking, smoking marijuana, and even engaging in playful "slap boxing" and wrestling.
As the night progressed, however, the lighthearted atmosphere soured. A verbal argument, described by the homeowner as minor, erupted between the two men. In the midst of this confrontation, Fenstermaker produced a handgun. The homeowner attempted to intervene and break up the fight, but a gunshot rang out. Lewis was struck once in the torso. Fenstermaker immediately fled the residence, leaving a chaotic scene behind. Lewis was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
Following the shooting, a manhunt was initiated for Jory Fenstermaker. After several hours, he surrendered to law enforcement during a traffic stop in Farmington. He was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Randy Lennell Lewis. During the investigation and subsequent trial, Fenstermaker claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that Lewis had threatened his life and was reaching for a kitchen knife. However, investigators found no weapon in the immediate vicinity of where Lewis was shot, and Andrea Green testified that she did not believe Lewis posed a threat to Fenstermaker's life.
In February 2017, a jury rejected Fenstermaker's self-defense claim and convicted him of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a restricted person. The following month, Jory Fenstermaker was sentenced to a term of 16 years to life in prison for the shooting death of Randy Lennell Lewis.
