Sons of Anarchy's Johnny Lewis Dead, Suspect in Elderly Woman's Death
At just 28 years old, 'Sons of Anarchy' star Johnny Lewis is dead and the circumstances are hard to put together.
Lewis was found outside his home in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday, sprawled on the driveway. Inside the home, his landlord, 81-year-old Katherine Chabot Davis, was found dead as well, reports ABC News.
The events that led to their deaths are unclear, but police do have reports from neighbors on what happened.
Sometime on Wednesday morning neighbors heard screaming and reported it to police. Lewis also allegedly had an altercation with two men outside the home earlier Wednesday morning.
Police believe that Lewis got into a fight with a housepainter next door and then went inside and fought with Davis, according to CBS News. He then came back outside and climbed the neighbor's wall to continue the fight with both people.
The cause of Katherine Chabot Davis' death is still unknown but police suspect she died as a result of major physical trauma. Lewis is a suspect in her death.
Criminal investigations continue even if the victim and defendant have died. If police confirm that Lewis was the cause of Davis's death he won't be charged posthumously since he's no longer a danger to society. But Davis's family could sue Lewis's estate for wrongful death in a civil claim if he was deemed to have killed her.
The 'Sons of Anarchy' star had dealt with legal and personal trouble over the last year. Earlier this year he pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to 291 days in prison, reports New York Daily News.
He had only recently been released from jail for assault with a deadly weapon when this incident occurred.
Lewis had been acting for over a decade but his performance on 'Sons of Anarchy' is what he's best known for among audiences and critics. He was also romantically linked to Katy Perry back in 2006.
The cause of Lewis's death is also currently unknown. Police are unsure whether he jumped or fell to his death. The coroner is performing a drug-screen on the body to determine if Lewis was under the influence at the time of his death.
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