Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect revised statements from officials.
Jamaal Lewis, 22, today pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of police Capt. Robert Melton.
He also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a firearm, said Jonathan Carter, a spokesman for Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree’s office.
Carter said this was not a plea deal. Lewis had been charged with capital murder or alternative felony first-degree murder. He said the guilty plea was something the defendant did on his own.
Earlier this year, in June, the district attorney’s office announced it had decided not to pursue the death penalty in the case.
Sentencing will take place at 2 p.m. Nov. 30 in Wyandotte County District Court. Lewis is expected to receive a sentence of life in prison. He could be eligible for parole in 25 years.
According to the district attorney’s office, the sentence would have been the same for capital murder or felony first-degree murder.
Capt. Melton, with the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, was shot and killed July 19, 2016. Capt. Melton was searching for individuals involved in a drive-by, and was in his patrol vehicle when shots were fired through the window.
Mayor David Alvey sent out a revised statement on Thursday night about the case. (The full statement is at the end of this story.)
Mayor Alvey sent out an initial statement about the guilty plea, and called it a plea agreement.
“I am deeply concerned that the plea agreement does not match the exceptionally serious nature of this capital crime,” Mayor Alvey said in the statement. “I am also disturbed that neither the victim’s family members, nor our law enforcement community, were apprised of this plea agreement before it took place.”
“This plea agreement is a de facto devaluation of victim’s rights and the daily sacrifices of our law enforcement community,” he said.
The district attorney’s office later responded to the mayor’s statement, saying that there was no plea agreement, and the defendant decided to plead guilty to the charge, as he could at any time have done. The defendant entered his plea without any agreement from the prosecution, according to the statement, and the state did not make plea negotiations with the defendant.
The mayor’s statement:
“Alvey Responds to Guilty Plea
Wyandotte County DA Offers Reduced Charge
“Today, at what was scheduled to be a routine pre-trial hearing, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree offered a plea agreement to a reduced charge of first-degree felony murder to Jamaal R. Lewis for the shooting death of Kansas City, Kansas Police Captain, Robert Melton.
Lewis was charged in 2016 with capital murder, which carries the death penalty. Today’s plea agreement carries a lesser sentence of 25-years with the possibility of parole.
“I am deeply concerned that the plea agreement does not match the exceptionally serious nature of this capital crime. I am also disturbed that neither the victim’s family members, nor our law enforcement community, were apprised of this plea agreement before it took place,” says David Alvey, Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte/Kansas City, Kansas. “This plea agreement is a de facto devaluation of victim’s rights and the daily sacrifices of our law enforcement community.”
The district attorney’s response:
“Law Enforcement Officers in this community place their lives on the line daily for the safety and well-being of the citizens of Wyandotte County. It is unfortunate and disheartening that Mayor/CEO David Alvey issued a statement regarding the homicide of Captain Robert Melton, that is not only wholly inaccurate, but misrepresents what occurred in court. This statement was issued without any communication with the District Attorney’s Office, which would have ensured that the information being distributed to the public was correct.
“This morning, at a pre-trial motions hearing, Jamaal Lewis advised the State and the Court that he wished to change his plea from not guilty to guilty as charged in the Second Amended Information on file in the case. Mr. Lewis pled guilty to Murder in the First Degree, Aggravated Assault, and Criminal Discharge of a firearm into an Unoccupied Dwelling. Mr. Lewis entered said plea without any agreement from the State, and the plea was accepted by the Court. There is no agreement in this matter. A criminal defendant may plead guilty to any charges against him at any time. As stated in Court, the State did not enter into plea negotiations with the defendant.
“Any statements that indicate a plea agreement was reached are inaccurate and misinformed. The Victim’s Bill of Rights was followed in this case, as it pertains to the family. Sentencing is set for November 30, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. The defendant is facing a life sentence with eligibility to request parole after serving 25 years, as well as additional prison time for Aggravated Assault and Criminal Discharge.
“Due to the existing Orders by the Court regarding extra judicial comments, and the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct, no further statements until Sentencing has occurred will be forthcoming.”
Later Thursday night, Mayor Alvey issued a revised statement:
“Mayor Alvey Responds to Guilty Plea
Wyandotte County DA Offers Reduced Charge
“Today, at what was scheduled to be a routine pre-trial hearing, Jamaal R. Lewis pled guilty to a reduced charge of felony murder in the shooting death of Kansas City, Kansas Police Captain, Robert Melton. This plea was made possible when Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree amended the charges, from capital murder with the possible sentence of life in prison, to include the alternative charge, felony murder.
“Lewis was originally charged in 2016 with capital murder, for which the only sentencing possibilities are the death penalty or a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Today’s plea allows for the possibility of parole after only serving 25 years.
“I am deeply concerned that this plea does not match the exceptionally serious nature of this capital crime. I am also disturbed that neither the victim’s family members, nor our law enforcement community, were alerted to the possibility that this plea was taking place today,” says David Alvey, Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte/Kansas City, Kansas. “This plea, which allows for the possibility of Mr. Lewis being released from custody after only 25 years, is a de facto devaluation of victim’s rights and the daily sacrifices of our law enforcement community. By all appearances the facts and evidence of this case support a prosecution for the charge of capital murder and nothing less.”
