Man Pleads Guilty In Triple Slaying Witnessed By Small Children
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A man charged in the shotgun deaths of three people in front of small children inside an abandoned Detroit house has pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder.
Kevin Lewis, 26, made the plea earlier this week in Wayne County Circuit Court. He had been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
Lauren Trotty, 25, India Coleman, 20, and Curtis Clemens, 20, were shot to death March 6, 2013 at a vacant home in the 11000 block Coyle Street, near Plymouth and Greenfield roads on the city's west side. Their bodies were found the next day.
Trotty's 5-year-old daughter and Coleman's 1-year-old daughter reportedly watched as the gunman pulled the trigger, killing their mothers and Clemens. The children then apparently spent the night with the bloodied bodies before help arrived, according to one of the victims' relatives.
While speaking to police, Trotty's daughter apparently identified the shooter as her mother's ex-boyfriend, Shadell Love. He was taken into police custody less than 24 hours later, along with Lewis.
Neighbors reportedly called police around 10:30 the night of March 6, reporting that shots had been fired. However, a police spokesperson said the neighbors gave an address that was in the 11900 block of Coyle — a few blocks away from where the shooting actually took place.
Police responded to the 11900 block of Coyle that night and found no problems. Officers were called back to the neighborhood around 9:30 a.m. Thursday after a neighbor discovered the bodies and found the children abandoned.
Lewis is due back in court for sentencing on June 3. Co-defendant Love, 23, faces a June 2 trial on three counts of first-degree murder.
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