Victim’s Sister Testifies Against Her Cousin In Lewkus Turner Murder Trial

By D.C. Witness Staff - May 25, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Prosecutors brought the victim’s sister to the witness stand to testify against her cousin, Lewkus Turner, who is charged with killing Vincent Gyamfi in a family dispute.

Turner, 29, is accused of second-degree murder for allegedly shooting Gyamfi, 26, on Dec. 11, 2020, on the 2900 block of S Street, SE.  

Turner and Gyamfi were cousins in an extended family. The pair was “extremely close” and saw each other almost daily, according to Gyamfi’s sister who’s also Turner’s cousin.  Her aunt is Lewkus’ mother.

In the May 24 proceeding before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan, prosecutors questioned Gyamfi’s sister about his state of mind before he confronted Turner on the day of the shooting.

She disputed the idea Gyamfi intended to attack Turner based on three phone calls she heard relating to a negative Instagram post Turner made about another family member who had COVID.  

The sister said that while Gyamfi was “irritated,” and “flustered” with the idea that somehow he might have been involved in the post, he didn’t raise his voice and wasn’t angry with Turner.  

In the final call, Gyamfi’s sister said he was, “Going to holler at Lewkus.”

In opening arguments on May 23, defense lawyer Michelle Stevens said the evidence showed that Gyamfi, not Turner, was the aggressor and that the defendant moved away and acted in self-defense.  “Vinnie just kept coming,” Stevens repeated to the jury.

The defense previously said that Gyamfi was known to carry a gun, but his sister denied it.

Under cross-examination, Gyamfi’s sister admitted she told a detective after the shooting that Turner and Gyamfi would fight physically all the time but that Turner would always lose.

Earlier a DC forensics expert said she analyzed a white Chevrolet Suburban, the vehicle the prosecution says Turner was driving at the time of the shooting.  She said she was able to retrieve fingerprints, DNA samples and locate a shell casing wedged into a seat.  In addition, she said there were blood stains on the floorboard and on a tire. 

Prosecutors also say that a white Chevy Suburban was rented a few days before the killings and its location was tracked by a telematics system which was recovered as evidence.  

The prosecution will continue presenting its case on May 30.