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By
D.C. Witness Staff
- June 18, 2018
Court
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Homicides
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Suspects
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A judge ordered a convicted murderer to pay more than $200,000 in restitution for the death of a four-year-old girl.
A jury convicted Jerome Lewis of first-degree murder and first-degree cruelty to children, among other charges, in 2017. Apparently, he intentionally set fire to a home he owned on the 2600 block of 33rd Street, SE. Samauri Jenkins died in the fire.
Lewis, 51, rented out the first and second floors of the house to family members who lived there, including the decedent, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Jenkins was rescued from the fire by emergency services but later died at a hospital from smoke inhalation and burns.
Lewis was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
The home that Jerome Lewis set fire to, killing 4-year-old Samauri Jenkins.
The prosecution said Lewis should pay more than one million dollars in restitution. They based the amount on what Jenkins could have earned if she reached adulthood. The projection came from an average of various high school and college graduates’ incomes.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Milton Lee said he did not struggle to decide whether restitution should be paid but had some difficulty deciding what the dollar amount would be. He ultimately settled on $204,503, noting Jenkins was an “amazing” and “bright” girl.
“How do I account for… that loss of earnings?” Lee said. “Did she have an interest that would motivate her beyond high school?”