Justice Delayed But Not Denied: Murder Charges Filed 5 Years After Lakeland Grandmother's Christmas Eve Slaying

After more than five years of painstaking detective work, a Lakeland man has been charged with first-degree murder in the Christmas Eve 2020 shooting death of a 70-year-old grandmother. The case, which also left three other family members wounded, finally moved forward thanks to a breakthrough linking the suspect to a separate mass shooting.

Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor announced on July 31 that Taqiy Malik Lewis, 29, has been indicted for the murder of Maebelle Cooper. The shooting happened on December 24, 2020, at a home on Amos Avenue. Lewis also faces three counts of attempted murder for wounding Cooper's daughter, Shawanda Lamones, Lamones' husband Ralph, and their then-13-year-old daughter A'Sasha.

If convicted, Lewis faces a minimum of 25 years to life in prison.

How a 2023 mass shooting cracked the 2020 cold case

The key piece of evidence came from a separate tragedy. Lewis was already serving a 30-year federal sentence for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, a charge stemming from a January 20, 2023 mass shooting on Iowa Avenue in Lakeland that left 13 people shot.

During that investigation, police recovered a Kahr CM9 9mm pistol from Lewis. Ballistic testing confirmed that same weapon fired the bullets that killed Cooper more than two years earlier. Chief Taylor said the gun was purchased by Lewis' girlfriend, who admitted he had access to it.

Surveillance footage from the Amos Avenue scene also placed Lewis at the shooting. Taylor noted that media photographs taken just hours before the killing show Lewis wearing the same clothes and holding what investigators believe is the murder weapon.

What happened on Christmas Eve 2020?

The chain of events began when Lamones' son was robbed at gunpoint while trying to buy a phone at Simpson Park. Lamones and her husband rushed to the park, where she confronted a man named Alfurquan O'Neal, demanding the return of her son's $220. Lamones, who had a concealed carry permit, had her husband retrieve her gun from her purse and pointed it at O'Neal.

After returning home, the family was confronted by two cars filled with people, plus a man on a four-wheeler and another on a dirt bike. Several men got out with guns. Lewis was among them. In the shootout that followed, Cooper was struck twice and killed. Lamones, her husband, and daughter were all injured.

Family's long fight for justice

Shawanda Lamones told The Ledger in March that the family was waiting for the state to move forward. At the time, Lewis was sentenced on federal weapons charges. The family had long identified suspects from neighbor's security footage and provided police with social media evidence.

“I don't want to see what happened to my family happen to anyone else's family,” Lamones said. “That's why I'm still out here fighting.”

Three other individuals have been indicted in the 2020 shooting. Police are still searching for Carlos Morris, who has family ties to Lakeland. Anyone with information is asked to call Lakeland Police at 834-6900 or Crimestoppers at 1-888-400-8477. Tips are eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

This case highlights the persistence of law enforcement and the importance of community cooperation in bringing violent offenders to justice, even years after the crime.