On Thanksgiving Day in 2016, a sense of loss pierced the community of Yorktown, Virginia, with the tragic death of Richard Ellsworth Irvin, a 42-year-old man known affectionately as 'Byrd'. Richard, who was working as a security guard, was fatally shot in the early morning hours outside the County Grill & Steakhouse. The incident unfolded following an altercation at a pre-Thanksgiving party being held at the establishment.
Witnesses recounted that Richard was attempting to de-escalate a
confrontation involving several people when the situation turned violent. During the course of his efforts to maintain peace, he was shot in the northbound lanes of Route 17. The kind-hearted man, remembered by friends and family for his gentle nature and big heart, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. He was a lifelong resident of the Peninsula and a 1992 graduate of Menchville High School.
In the days that followed, law enforcement identified a suspect, Coleston Ryan Lewis, then 28, of Newport News. After a search, Lewis was apprehended on November 30, 2016, and charged in connection with Richard's death. The subsequent legal proceedings brought more details of that fateful night to light. Testimony revealed that after an initial altercation which Richard had broken up, Lewis followed him and fired the fatal shot.
Coleston Ryan Lewis stood trial for his actions. In May 2018, a jury found him not guilty of second-degree murder but convicted him of manslaughter, carrying a concealed weapon, brandishing a firearm, and shooting in a public place. The jury recommended a sentence of 13 years in prison for the collection of convictions, bringing a measure of closure to a case that had deeply affected the Yorktown community.
