ELYRIA — Police were searching for leads Monday in the double slaying of a husband and wife found shot Sunday in a rented SUV.
Elyria police Capt. Chris Costantino declined to publicly reveal many details of the investigation into the deaths of Michael L. Lewis, 32, and Fannie Lewis, 22. He also said he couldn’t say if police had a suspected motive or whether drugs were involved.
“We’re in the early stages of the investigation, and we’re still interviewing people and developing leads,” Costantino said.
Police reported that officers were called to 128 Fox Hill Lane about 10 p.m. Sunday after receiving a call about gunshots and found the couple inside a rented Chevrolet Traverse with New York license plates.
Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis was found in the driver’s seat, while his wife was found in the front passenger seat, according to a news release. Both had what appeared to be gunshot wounds and had no signs of life.
Lorain County Coroner Dr. Stephen Evans said an autopsy was performed on Michael Lewis on Monday and one is scheduled for Fannie Lewis today.
The couple lived on West River Road in Elyria, according to police.
Michael Lewis had an extensive criminal record that included felony convictions on drug charges, including trafficking in cocaine.
Lewis was sentenced to three years in prison in 2009 on the drug charges and was released on parole in October 2012, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s website.
Lorain County Probate Court records show that Michael Lewis married the former Fannie Thomas on Aug. 3, 2011, while he was serving his prison sentence.
Prison system spokesman Brian Niceswanger said such marriages aren’t uncommon. He said the arrangements, including obtaining the marriage license and hiring someone to perform the private ceremony, are the responsibility of the inmate and their betrothed.
Lorain attorney Michael Stepanik, who represented Michael Lewis in a pending cocaine trafficking case, said he had he always liked his client and didn’t think that Fannie Lewis had shared his problems with the law. He said Michael Lewis was well-liked on the streets and shouldn’t be judged solely because he had a criminal record.
“Say what you will about a person having multiple felonies and going to prison, but he was a good guy,” Stepanik said.
He said that Michael Lewis had been on parole for several years and hadn’t had any violations. He also said he thought his client had a good chance of beating the drug trafficking charge he was facing.
Stepanik said he knew little about the shootings and had been surprised to learn Michael and Fannie Lewis were the victims.
Beyond his felony charges, Michael Lewis had also had numerous misdemeanor encounters with the law. A search of Elyria Municipal Court’s website for Michael L. Lewis generated 71 results for cases ranging from traffic offenses and possession of marijuana to unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and driving under the influence.
Some of the charges against Lewis were dismissed over the years and some of those search results were for civil matters.
Anyone with information on the shootings should contact Elyria police at (440) 323-3302.
Reporter Lisa Roberson contributed to this story.
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