Va. man charged with murder after his missing wife 'in extreme danger' disappears between church services
07/21/2022 2:47 pm PDT
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (TCD) -- A 49-year-old man faces a murder charge after his wife reportedly disappeared in between church services over the weekend.
According to Newport News Police, Shanitia Mikell Eure’s family reported her missing and possibly endangered on Sunday, July 17. She was reportedly seen earlier that day at Gethsemane Baptist Church, but her family grew concerned because she stopped communicating with them, which "is inconsistent with her normal behavior."
Virginia State Police shared Newport News Police Department’s missing person bulletin and described her as being "in extreme danger."
The day she disappeared, Eure reportedly left the first church service and planned on returning for a second service, but she did not come back. According to Newport News Police, Eure and her husband, Adrian Lewis, were seen leaving their home at 9:40 a.m.
Investigators reportedly found their vehicle Monday, July 18, in Hampton, and recovered evidence that moved the case from a missing person to a homicide investigation.
Police arrested Lewis on Tuesday, July 19, for first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Eure’s body, however, has not been recovered yet. According to WTKR-TV, detectives discovered some of Eure’s personal belongings and a shovel in a dumpster. They also found his truck at a hotel and saw blood and a bullet casing.
Police reportedly arrested Lewis at Dulles Airport, where investigators allege he was trying to flee to Jamaica.
According to the criminal complaint cited by WAVY-TV, on July 4, Eure reportedly told Lewis she wanted a divorce. Ten days later, she brought all the guns in her home over to her sister's house and had her children stay there, too.
On July 17 at 9:40 a.m., Lewis allegedly called Eure's sister and said Eure was having an affair. He then called later in the day to say he and Eure got into a fight and she jumped out of the car.
Lewis allegedly called someone he knew and asked him to detail his truck and look after it for a few days because he was going out of town. The friend reportedly noticed blood in the car, and Lewis said it was because one of his dogs got shot. Police, however, learned both of his dogs are healthy.
Lewis reportedly bought a plane ticket to Jamaica that was scheduled to depart June 18.
MORE:
TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page for podcasts, exclusive videos, and more.
