The man accused of sexually assaulting and strangling a jogger in Queens made an odd request after he confessed to her murder.
As Det. Christian Quezada was transporting alleged killer Chanel Lewis to central booking in February, Lewis asked if he could see a photo of victim Karina Vetrano, the detective told the court during an evidence hearing.
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“During the ride, he asked me if the victim’s family was watching on the news, and he asked me if he could see a picture of her,” Quezada testified, the New York Post reports. “I said no.”
20-year-old Lewis obliged and sat quietly for the rest of the ride, he said.
The bizarre request came after Lewis asked police if he could see a photo of the victim’s parents, Phil and Cathie Vetrano, who have been present during every part of the trial. He wanted to tell them “I’m sorry for what I did,” he said.
Phil discovered his daughter’s body in the weeds off the running path after she didn’t come home after her run in August 2016. Her shorts were pulled down.
Lewis is accused of snatching Vetrano from a running path and beating her face so harshly that her teeth broke. He told officers during his confession that he “got madder and madder” and strangled the victim, though she “wasn’t doing anything” to provoke him.
He is charged with first-degree murder and numerous counts of sexual abuse, though he denies any sexual activity with Vetrano.
“There was a puddle of water, she fell into it,” Lewis claimed. “She drowned. I pulled her to the bushes, and that’s when her pants came down.”
When asked why he attacked 30-year-old Vetrano, Lewis said he killed her “because a guy moved into my house and the neighborhood.” During another interview, he said he was hanging out in the weeds near the running trail because a neighbor was playing loud music. He was looking for a quiet place to calm down, he claimed.
Lewis plead not guilty through his lawyers, but may face life without the possibility of parole if he is convicted of all crimes.
Judge Gregory Lasak is presiding over the trial; he’ll likely rule on the case in January, he said.
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