Chattanooga Man Receives Dual Life Sentences Amid Emotional Proceedings
In a charged courtroom on May 24, 2024, Terrence Lewis, a local Chattanooga man, was handed two consecutive life sentences following an emotional hearing. His crimes: the brutal murders of Randy Williams and Evan Derry. The verdict was a culmination of a tumultuous trial that witnessed overwhelming agony, grief, and anger from the victims’ families.
Undeserving of Social Freedom
As the testament from Randy Williams Sr., the aggrieved father of one of the victims, silenced the courtroom, the extent of Lewis’s insidious crimes became evident. Williams Sr., with vocal vehemence, stressed that a man like Lewis, who had expressed no remorse for his crimes, did not deserve to live among the public. His preference: a lifetime prison sentence over the death penalty. Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman, hence, ruled Lewis to back-to-back life sentences.
The Unsettling Crimes
According to the court records, the first life sentence is for the murder of Evan Derry, a student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The incident unfolded on December 28, 2017, during a drug deal that devolved into a deadly shooting. Terrence Lewis received his indictment in connection with Derry’s murder in 2019 and was subsequently granted a bond of $75,000, leading to his release.
While on bail, Lewis struck again, shooting Randy Williams multiple times at the former’s home on Lightfoot Mill Road on December 2, 2020, which led to the second life sentence. A third case is still under active investigation, involving the alleged murder of Pierre Casseus, shot inside his car in November 2020.
A Lifetime in Prison
Lewis’s life sentences are to run consecutively instead of concurrently, given that he committed Williams’s murder while out on bond for Derry’s murder. As per the legal proceedings, Lewis will not be eligible for parole until the year 2121 as asserted by his attorney, Joshua Weiss. On top of the dual life sentences, Lewis was slapped with additional penalties of 20 years for second-degree murder, 20 years for specifically aggravated robbery, and four years each for aggravated burglary and robbery related to both cases.
Tears and Testimonies
The hearing room was rife with heartache and tears. Wendy Hughes, Lewis’s mother, expressed her regret for posting his bond, stating she felt crucified for her decision. Meanwhile, victims’ families expressed their sorrow, anger, and sense of loss. Kelly Derry, Evan Derry’s mother, notably brought a framed photograph of her son to stand witness during the hearing, symbolizing the life that was ruthlessly snuffed out. She accused Lewis of showing no empathy, her words reverberating through the silent courtroom: “You just robbed him of his young, beautiful life. You only care about the person in the mirror.”
Awaiting Justice
As the court waits to pass judgment on the pending murder case of Pierre Casseus, the local community also yearns for justice. If Lewis is convicted in this final case, he will be recognized as a serial killer. In the meantime, Chattanooga continues to reel from the shocking crimes, sustaining hope for justice to prevail.
Remember the victims, not the criminal. We remember Evan Derry through his mother’s words: “I adore his smile. I cherish his hugs. But most of all, I love that he is my son.”
Source: HERE News Network
