In the winter of 2017, just three days after Christmas, the life of 23-year-old Kerrice Lewis, a Black woman, was brutally cut short in Washington, D.C. On the evening of December 28th, police responded to reports of gunshots and a vehicle on fire in an alley in the 800 block of Adrian Street, SE. Inside the trunk of the burning car, they made a grim discovery: the body of Kerrice Lewis.
She had been shot multiple times before the vehicle was set ablaze.
The investigation into her death revealed a chilling story of revenge. Earlier that same day, a friend of the perpetrators had been killed. Believing a friend of Kerrice's was responsible, they sought retaliation. Kerrice was tragically caught in the middle of this violent quest for vengeance. She and her childhood best friend, Armani Nico Coles, were kidnapped to be used as bait to lure out the intended target. When that plan failed, the perpetrators turned their violence on their captives.
In February 2018, police arrested 23-year-old Ashton Briscoe in connection with Kerrice's murder. Subsequent arrests followed, including Malique Lewis, 20, and Marcel Vines. The investigation revealed that after kidnapping Kerrice and Coles, the men shot Coles and pushed his body from the car onto a Maryland highway. About an hour later, they shot Kerrice at least 13 times while she was in the trunk of her car before setting it on fire.
Ultimately, Malique Lewis and Marcel Vines were found guilty of the armed kidnappings and murders of both Kerrice Lewis and Armani Nico Coles. In March 2025, both men were sentenced to life in prison plus 60 years. A third man, Ashton Briscoe, was also charged in connection with the murders. The case against him was still awaiting trial as of the sentencing of his co-conspirators.
