In the late summer of 2017, the community of Highland Springs in Henrico, Virginia, was shaken by a violent act that claimed the lives of two people. Lakisha L. Lewis, a 31-year-old female, and Devon L. Blowe, 32, were found shot to death on the evening of Sunday, August 27th. The tragic event unfolded in the 200 block of North Oak Avenue, where police responded to a call of a shooting and discovered the two victims.
The initial investigation by Henrico Police quickly pointed to a suspect. Within days, authorities announced the arrest of Bruce Patrick Fleming Jr., then 42 years old, of Richmond. He was taken into custody in the city and faced two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Lewis and Blowe. He was also charged with two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
As the legal proceedings began, details of the case started to emerge. Fleming was arraigned in Henrico General District Court, where he was appointed a public defender. During a subsequent hearing, a judge certified the first-degree murder charges against him to a grand jury. This decision came after a witness testified to seeing Fleming shoot both Lewis and Blowe.
In June of 2018, Bruce Patrick Fleming Jr. entered an Alford plea to two counts of first-degree murder. An Alford plea is a legal mechanism in which a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that the prosecution has enough evidence to likely secure a conviction. By entering this plea, Fleming avoided a full trial. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for the murders of Lakisha Lewis and Devon Blowe.
