Emotional courtroom reconciliation scene.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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
Digital Access to Quality Journalism on the Rise in London London is witnessing a growing…
Palm Beach, Florida - Trump Talks Future Senate Appointment On a sunny Monday afternoon, President-elect…
Tragedy Strikes Madison: Community Mourns Loss of Two Lives in School Shooting This week, the…
Columbus Reflects on Playoff Blowouts and Buckeye Brilliance So, here we are in Columbus, Ohio,…
News Summary The Hamilton County Commission recently tabled a resolution for funding the Humane Education…
News Summary Chattanooga residents are growing concerned about the potential implications of a federal government…