FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, September 15, 2023

Defendant Shot Victim Following a Series of Arguments Started by an Instagram Post

            WASHINGTON – Lewkus Turner, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 8.5 years in prison for shooting and killing his cousin in Southeast Washington, D.C., on December 11, 2020. The government sought a 16-year sentence.

            On June 9, 2023, a jury sitting in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia found Turner guilty of voluntary manslaughter while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

            According to the government’s evidence, just before 4:00 p.m. on December 11, 2020, the victim, Vincent Gyamfi, drove to the 1600 block of 29th Street SE to speak to Turner, his first-cousin, regarding an Instagram post Turner had made earlier in the week. Shortly after arriving in the area, an argument broke out and Turner left the scene. A short time later, Turner returned armed with a gun and the two men began to argue again before leaving in separate directions.

            Mr. Gyamfi subsequently parked his vehicle near the intersection of 29th and S Streets SE. At 4:07 p.m. Turner drove by the same intersection and confronted his cousin for a final time. As a result, Mr. Gyamfi ran at Turner’s car, and Turner shot Mr. Gyamfi three times with a large caliber weapon. Turner then dragged Mr. Gyamfi’s body out from underneath Turner’s vehicle, re-entered the car, and fled the scene without calling for aid. Turner was arrested on December 29, 2020,  and has been in custody ever since.

            In announcing the conviction, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department.  They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and FBI CAST team.  They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Dan Lenerz and Bryan Han of the Appellate Section; Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez; Special Agents Mark Crawford and Durand Odom of the Criminal Investigations Unit; Supervisory Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Tonya Jones and Maenylie Watson; Supervisory Budget Analyst Nikiya Burnette and Accounting Technician Evelyn Miles; Paralegal Specialist Meridith McGarrity; and Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce.

            Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak, Christopher Carson, and Gauri Gopal, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.