Mac Lewis and the home where he allegedly gunned down his wife in front of her daughter last year (WBRD screenshot)
A 46-year-old man in Indiana is facing more than 100 years behind bars after being convicted of five felonies for killing his wife, fatally shooting her in front of two young girls, one of whom was the victim’s 11-year-old daughter.
A jury in Clark County on Tuesday found Mac Lewis guilty on all counts, including murder, in last year’s slaying of Elizabeth Bennett Lewis, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
In addition to being convicted for his wife’s murder, Lewis was also found guilty of one count of attempted murder and three counts of criminal recklessness committed with a deadly weapon. After returning with the verdict, jurors then found that there were aggravating circumstances for a handgun enhancement for the fatal shooting, which could add an additional 20 years to his overall sentence.
Elizabeth Lewis was the daughter of Tony Bennett, a former State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana and former Commissioner of Education in Florida.
“After 18 months of absolute hell, today is the first day of justice for our beautiful daughter, their mom, our two grandchildren and (their friend) who endured this tragedy,” Tony Bennett said in a statement following the verdict, according to the Jefferson News and Tribune. “No children, no child, should ever have their mom stripped away from them in the manner Lizzie was stripped away (from her kids.) And even more, no child should have that happen before their eyes.”
According to a report from Louisville, Kentucky, Fox affiliate WDRB, the fatal shooting happened inside the home Mac and Elizabeth Lewis shared with the victim’s daughter. At the time of the incident, both the daughter and her 10-year-old friend were inside the house.
A subsequent autopsy determined that Elizabeth Lewis’ cause of death was a gunshot wound she suffered to the right side of her face that entered just below her eye and exited out the back of her head. She also sustained three additional gunshot wounds, each of which had entry and exit wounds, plus multiple injuries from bullets grazing her, the News and Tribune reported.
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Lewis shot his wife four times, ultimately killing her, then reportedly fired at least one shot at the victim’s daughter which is why he was also charged with one count of attempted murder. The criminal recklessness charges stemmed from Lewis firing the gun multiple other times inside the home, with one bullet getting stuck in a neighbor’s house across the street.
Police reportedly said that when officers arrived on the scene, the victim’s daughter was inconsolable and covered in her mother’s blood.
During the trial, prosecutors played a portion of the 911 call Elizabeth Bennett’s daughter placed after witnessing her mother being gunned down by her Lewis.
“My stepdad just killed my mom,” the child could be heard telling the Clark County emergency dispatcher, per the News and Tribune.
Lewis’ defense attorney at trial reportedly claimed that Lewis had the gun with him because he was going to commit suicide after his wife told him she wanted a divorce. He further argued that Elizabeth Bennett was shot while trying to wrestle the gun away from her husband.
“I considered that to be an insult to this family,” Clark County Prosecutor Jeremy Mull reportedly said, referring to the defense’s theory. “Mr. Lewis tried to make this trial about the fact that Lizzie had somehow caused her own death by wrestling over the gun or provoking him.”
Lewis is scheduled to appear for his sentencing hearing on Nov. 1.
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