Frank was charged with first-degree murder when arrested the next morning. The St. Landry Parish Grand Jury handed up an indictment on the lesser charge.
Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life imprisonment without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence, if a suspect is convicted or pleads guilty.
Eunice police have never commented on a motive for Frank allegedly shooting Lewis, but sources familiar with the men say the shooting was related to the beating of a woman earlier in the night.
Lewis allegedly beat a woman in an altercation behind the Police Department building shortly after 6 p.m.
About 7:30 p.m., they say, Frank was among a group of the woman’s friends and relatives who were looking for Lewis when they spotted him dash into a back yard at 241 South Beulah.
They gave chase. One resident of the area recalled hearing a woman telling others to get out of the way before Frank allegedly pointed a .380 caliber handgun at Lewis and fired.
According to the police report, the gun jammed. Frank then cleared the chamber of the jammed round and pulled the trigger again, shooting Lewis in the back as he tried to get away. Lewis died at the scene.
Frank was captured shortly after 6 a.m. the following day at his mother’s Eunice residence.
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