After he was incarcerated for 1,188 days in the Lauderdale County Detention Facility, a Lauderdale County jury on Wednesday acquitted Leroy Lewis of murder and aggravated assault. 

Lewis was charged with the 2014 murder of Reondricus Rogers and the aggravated assault of Kaddaifi Gray, an associate of Rogers.

Rogers died from a gunshot wound on 25th Avenue between 8th and 9th Street in Meridian on Dec. 15, 2014.

However, after deliberating for approximately 55 minutes, the jury declared Lewis, of Montgomery, Alabama, not guilty on Wednesday. 

“Obviously it’s disappointing,” Philip Weinberg, the assistant district attorney in the case, said after the verdict was handed down. “But it was the jury’s decision to make and the jury decided not to convict.”

“I spoke to Mr. Lewis after the verdict and he was pleased with the decision,” Mark Chandlee, the public defender for Lewis, said. “But, he also wanted to express his condolences to the family of Reondricus Rogers.”

Throughout the three-day trial, the jury heard testimony from crime lab experts, detectives, witnesses and, on Wednesday morning, from the defendant himself.

Lewis testified that he had called police about a robbery and that the responding officer had failed to perform his duties. 

“I called the police and if the policeman had done their job or arrested (Kaddaifi Gray) this would have never happened,” Lewis testified.

The prosecution argued that Lewis attempted to buy spice (synthetic marijuana) from Gray, then later claimed it was a robbery when Gray didn’t provide him with spice.

“They came all the way over here to buy spice… and at some point Kaddaifi Gray got their $300,” Weinberg said in his closing argument. 

Weinberg noted that only Lewis said Gray had been armed and no other witness had testified about Gray and a weapon that day. 

“It’s very clear that the defendant has had three years to come up with this story,” Weinberg said. 

At the time of the shooting, the Mississippi legislature hadn’t yet passed a law prohibiting the sale of spice, which was sold over-the-counter at local stores.

However, the defense countered, saying that Gray had robbed Lewis and Lewis protected himself from a second attack by firing his weapon.

Chandlee also played a 911 recording of a call from Payton Bailey, Lewis’ girlfriend at the time, who said she’d been robbed at gunpoint that day. 

“In this situation, the responding officer failed to do their job and brushed Mr. Lewis and Ms. Bailey off,” Chandlee said, noting that the responding officer, identified as William Drake, didn’t take down Lewis’ or Bailey’s name.

“(Lewis) only returned fire after a gun was pulled on him and he was shot at… just because police have failed to locate another gun doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” Chandlee said. 

Weinberg countered, addressing the jury.

“The fact that police didn’t find other guns, did it occur to you that there were no other guns?” Weinberg said. 

‘I’m very sorry’

Lewis’ mother, Angela Lewis, and his sister, Erika Lewis, drove the three hours from Montgomery Alabama, and supported Lewis during the trial. 

“That was the best news I could have heard,” Angela Lewis said. 

“I praise God,” Erika Lewis said. 

However, both women quickly turned their attention to the victim’s family.

“I’m sorry she had to lose her son and I’m sorry she had to lose her son in that way,” Erika Lewis said, addressing Rogers’ mother, who also attended the trial.

“I’m sorry. I’m very sorry,” Angela Lewis said. “And I’m very sad to say… that it could have been the other way around.”

Erika Lewis said that Leroy Lewis had children and that, since his arrest in 2014, he’d had a granddaughter that he’d never met. 

“But I’m elated that he’s coming home,” Erika Lewis said.

Erika Lewis added that her brother, who testified that he couldn’t read or write before he was arrested, had improved his academic skills while he was in jail.

She said the family hopes he will get his GED and then get certified as an air conditioning technician, allowing him to provide for his family.

“We couldn’t have done this without the grace of God,” Angela Lewis said.

However, Leroy Lewis will remain behind bars because of an indictment for simple assault upon a correctional officer during his time at the Lauderdale County Correctional Facility.

The court will convene on that issue to discuss bond at 9 a.m. Thursday morning.