Tyrone Lewis Found Guilty in Alexandria Activist's Slaying

A 27-year-old Prince George’s County man has been found guilty in the 2011 killing of an Alexandria activist, Prince George’s State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks reported Tuesday. 

Tyrone Lewis was found guilty for murdering Lenwood “Lenny” Harris and on additional charges of kidnapping, robbery with a dangerous weapon and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence, the state’s attorney’s office reported.

“I am very pleased with this verdict,” Alsobrooks said in a statement.  “Mr. Lewis is a violent individual who killed Mr. Harris in cold blood after kidnapping him and forcing him to give up his ATM card and pin number at gunpoint.  There is no place for violent individuals like this in our community and we simply will not tolerate those who commit crimes against our citizens.”

The trial revealed that in Sept. 2011, Lewis and two others—Linwood Johnson and Ivan Newman—tried to get bail money for a friend who was arrested. They told Harris to meet them in Alexandria, where they said they would buy clothing from his line, but instead kidnapped him and demanded his ATM card and pin number.

Harris was then taken to an abandoned house in Fort Washington where he was shot in the head by Lewis. Then the men tried to use his ATM card at several machines in Maryland and Northern Virginia.  

Lewis and Johnson went back to the Fort Washington home they next day and planned on burying Harris’ body but instead they found wells on the property and dumped his body there instead.  

Harris’ body was found on Jan. 26, 2012, after an anonymous tip came into police. Johnson was questioned by police; he admitted his involvement in the killing and implicated Lewis and Newman as well.

The trial came to a close Monday and jurors deliberated for three hours Tuesday before they returned their guilty verdict. Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1 and he is facing a maximum sentence of life without parole plus 140 years. Johnson and Newman pleaded guilty and are still waiting to be sentenced.