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Wrong place? Lawyer: Lewis at murder scene but he's not killer
Posted: Wednesday February 02, 2000 11:09 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- A lawyer for Ray Lewis said Tuesday the Baltimore Ravens linebacker was at the scene of a post-Super Bowl fight that left two men dead from stab wounds, but he said Lewis was not the killer and police are searching for more suspects. Lewis, 24, appeared in court for the first time Tuesday on two counts of murder for the early Monday slayings. His preliminary hearing was postponed until Feb. 24 at the request of prosecutor Larry Gardner, who said he needed more time to interview witnesses. No bond was set, meaning Lewis will remain in the Atlanta city jail for another three weeks. "We're taking the position that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time," lawyer Max Richardson Jr. said outside the courtroom, where Lewis appeared briefly wearing handcuffs and a red jail uniform. "From what I've gathered from law enforcement officers, they know Ray didn't kill these unfortunate victims. ... They don't know where the other two men who were involved are, so they arrested Ray." Atlanta police spokeswoman Marion Lee would not comment on why murder charges were filed or whether a search is on for other suspects, saying only the investigation was ongoing. In Georgia, a felony murder conviction brings an automatic life sentence, while prosecutors have the option of pursuing the death penalty. Victims Jacinth "Shorty" Baker, 21, and Richard Lollar, 24, both of suburban Decatur, were stabbed repeatedly, according to the Fulton County medical examiner's office. Both men were found in the street in the Buckhead bar district by police responding to a fight call. Reached in Akron, Ohio, Lollar's grandmother said several of Lollar's friends told her he had been trying to break up a fight between Baker and an unidentified man when a group of men ambushed them. "That was just what he was all about, trying to be the peacemaker," Joyce Lollar said. "Then these guys got away in some limo. To watch CNN and ESPN and see his body being carted away, that really just hurts deeply."
The men were killed during a fight that broke out about 200 yards from the Cobalt Lounge, where a post-Super Bowl party had recently emptied into the street. Witnesses said six men fought and argued with the two victims before fleeing in a black stretch limousine, firing at least five gunshots as they drove away. Police recovered the limousine a few hours after the killings and spent all day questioning the driver. Lewis was questioned Monday morning and postponed his flight to Hawaii, where he was to appear Sunday in his third straight Pro Bowl after leading the NFL in tackles last season. "I cooperated fully," Lewis told The Baltimore Sun before his arrest. "As for the situation, I have no comment." Ravens spokesman Kevin Byrne said the team is taking no action against Lewis yet. "We have not had the opportunity to speak to Ray Lewis about this matter, and we can only hope that the charges against Ray are false." Byrne said. "This is a very serious matter to the Baltimore Ravens. Two young men died in Atlanta, and we offer our sympathies to their families and friends." Richardson said he had not talked to the NFL or Lewis' team and he had spent only a few minutes with Lewis before the hearing. "Ray is doing fine," said Richardson, who was hired Monday by Lewis' agents. "He believes the system will ultimately show that he is innocent of these heinous crimes." Baker and Lollar, both originally from Akron, moved to Atlanta two years ago. Joyce Lollar said her grandson and his girlfriend were expecting a baby next month. "He would cut everyone's hair starting when he was 11 years old, and Shorty was one of the guys who would come around," she said, adding that her grandson's funeral would be held in Akron as soon as the body was released and flown north.
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