A motion to dismiss first degree murder charges filed against Haywood Lee Lewis was denied in Bladen County Superior Court Criminal Division recently. Judge Douglas Sasser heard the motion.
Defense Attorney Michael Wilson presented a motion to dismiss the charges against his client, Haywood Lee Lewis, based on the fact that the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office “lost” the murder weapon. The motion was denied, by Judge Douglas Sasser.
When asked about the case, Bladen County Assistant District Attorney Quentin McGee said, “There are plenty of murder cases that are tried without a murder weapon.”
The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office referred all questions regarding the matter to the District Attorneys office.
Defense Attorney Michael Wilson also filed a second motion to quash a retaking warrant filed by the state of New York against Lewis. Attorney Wilson said a retaking warrant essentially means that once the charges against Lewis are disposed of in North Carolina, the state of New York can then pick Lewis up on charges in a case in that state. Judge Sasser did not enter a ruling on that motion. Attorney Wilson said the state of New York has since withdrawn its warrant, making the motion moot.
Attorney Wilson said his client is suffering with a terminal form of blood cancer and is in the Central Prison Hospital in Raleigh. He said with the warrant in place from the state of New York, Lewis could not be released on bond.
Lewis is charged, along with Christopher Jaquan Smith, with first degree murder in the shooting death of Bryan Barnette Bellamy Jr. The case is currently in the case management system and the next case management session is scheduled for July.
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