A Norfolk man who gunned down a wheelchair-bound neighbor in broad daylight will spend the next three decades behind bars.
Michael Anthony Lewis Jr., 28, was sentenced to 30 years in prison last month for the second-degree murder of 32-year-old Bobby Lee Hill. Lewis also admitted to using a firearm during the killing, which happened on June 18, 2024, in the Grandy Village neighborhood.
The details of the crime are chilling. Surveillance video shows Lewis jumping out of a car, rushing up to Hill on Kimball Terrace, and shooting him in the temple at near-contact range before fleeing. Hill was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police moved fast. They reviewed camera footage and tapped into the Flock license plate reader system, tracking Lewis back to the apartment complex where he lived. Security footage there confirmed he returned in the same car just minutes after the shooting. A search of his apartment turned up the 9mm firearm used in the killing.
Forensic testing matched the weapon to shell casings at the scene. Lewis was arrested just hours later. He waived his Miranda rights and confessed to the shooting, though investigators say they still don’t know why he did it.
In February, Lewis pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and the firearm charge. Prosecutors agreed not to pursue a first-degree murder charge, but they didn’t strike a deal on sentencing. He faced a maximum of 43 years.
On May 23, Judge Joseph C. Lindsey handed down a 30-year active sentence and suspended another 13 years, provided Lewis meets several conditions after his release, including three years of supervised probation and good behavior for 30 years.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi credited police and technology with helping solve the case quickly.
“Without cameras, I do not know that this crime would have ever been solved,” Fatehi said. “With them, we have held Mr. Lewis accountable for taking the victim’s life.”
Still, he acknowledged that justice has its limits.
“While Mr. Lewis’ sentence is substantial, no sentence will ever bring back Mr. Lewis’ victim. I mourn for him and for his family.”