REVENGE KILLING
Upper Darby cops bust ex-roomie in fatal shooting of man as ‘payback’
UPPER DARBY >> In what Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood called a revenge killing, a Philadelphia man has been charged with first-degree murder and related offenses in the shooting of Dewayne Lancaster outside the Stonehurst Court Apartment complex early Tuesday.
Lawrence Lucas, 39, of the 3100 block of Magee Street, was taken into custody early in the day Tuesday but was not charged in the fatal shooting until Tuesday night. Lucas was preliminarily arraigned Wednesday morning and remanded to the county prison without bail, according to online court information.
“This guy is an absolute assassin,” Chitwood said Wednesday.
Police initially responded to the apartment complex on Walnut Street at 12:40 a.m. Tuesday after a 911 caller reported hearing a man screaming and shots fired. Officers arrived to find the 29-year-old victim lying in a grassy area in the courtyard.
Lancaster was shot in the head and torso, Chitwood said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Based on evidence, Chitwood said the shooting appears to have started on Shelbourne Road, which runs parallel to the entrance of the apartment complex and where four shell casings were recovered. A bullet hole was also found in a nearby parked car.
Lancaster, who was a shift leader at Five Guys Burgers and Fries on City Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, was at work until after 11 p.m. Monday, according to a fellow shift leader.
Lancaster, who reportedly relied on public transportation or friends to get to and from work, was walking home from the SEPTA bus stop at 69th Street when the shots rang out. “It looks like he ran away and tried to get into the apartments … The assassin was able to catch him and fired at least two more shots,” Chitwood said.
According to Chitwood, a witness told police she saw a black man in all black clothing running away from the scene. A police officer en route to the call received the flash information and remembered passing an individual on Long Lane who fit the description of a possible suspect.
“He went to the terminal at 69th Street and found the guy there,” Chitwood said.
Chitwood said the person of interest was identified as Lucas and information he reportedly provided to police was discredited as the extensive homicide investigation progressed throughout the day Tuesday.
While Lucas told police he arrived in the area by bus and was waiting to meet with a few girls, Chitwood said that story didn’t hold up when police found his car on nearby Shelbourne Road and its keys in his pocket.
Additionally, video obtained by investigators puts Lucas “in the area” of the murder, the superintendent said.
“We built a forensic case to charge this guy,” Chitwood said.
Other evidence cited by Chitwood included a shoe print, as well as soil samplings from the ground where the body was recovered and the suspect’s clothing.
According to Chitwood, Lucas was convicted of homicide in Philadelphia in July 1996 and served 6 ½ years of a seven- to 12-year sentence.
In May 2008, Lucas was charged with possession with the intent to deliver drugs and criminal conspiracy, resulting in a seven-year prison stint.
According to Chitwood, the drugs were found during a raid on a residence in Germantown that Lancaster and Lucas shared at the time.
“We believe Lucas believes that Lancaster had either something to do with his arrest or set him up for the arrest,” Chitwood said. “The victim did no time. We believe this was the retaliation.”
Chitwood lauded investigators who worked round the clock.
“The collaborative effort between uniform patrol and criminal investigators that led to the arrest of this baddie was nothing but outstanding,” he said.
Lucas’ preliminary hearing is listed for Aug. 8 before Magisterial District Judge Harry J. Karapalides.
Lancaster’s death marks the fifth homicide for Upper Darby and the 23rd for Delaware County this year.
“We believe Lucas believes that Lancaster had either something to do with his arrest or set him up for the arrest. The victim did no time. We believe this was the retaliation.” — Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood