Pierce County prosecutors on Wednesday filed a first-degree murder charge against the man accused of stabbing his pregnant girlfriend to death on Halloween.
Judge Gary Steiner entered a not-guilty plea on behalf of Joseph Andrew Lester during an arraignment in Superior Court. Steiner ordered Lester jailed in lieu of $2 million bail.
Lester, 23, said nothing during the brief court appearance. Prosecutors also filed a second-degree murder charge against him to give a future jury the option of convicting him of a lesser charge.
He’s accused of stabbing Keisha Lewis – the mother of his 9-month-old daughter and two months pregnant with their second baby – multiple times in the head and neck after an argument outside a University Place duplex.
Lewis, 21, reportedly shouted, “He’s killing me,” before running inside the duplex, where she collapsed and died, according to court records.
Lester drove to the duplex with his and Lewis’ daughter. The girl remained in the car during the violence, court records show.
Authorities issued an Amber Alert after the stabbing when Lester fled with his daughter but canceled it a few hours later when he walked into Good Samartian Hospital in Puyallup, handed over the girl and surrendered to police.
Lester told police at the time of his arrest he was not hurt but made no other statement.
Deputy prosecutor Phil Sorensen said Wednesday he might amend the murder charge to include aggravating factors if he can prove Lester knew Lewis was pregnant or that the baby girl or a toddler inside the duplex witnessed the violence.
Those factors could increase Lester’s prison sentence if he’s convicted.
Lester will not be charged with kidnapping, Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said Tuesday.
Lester and Lewis had a volatile relationship, according to people who knew them and court records.
Michelle Wims, an ex-girlfriend of Lester’s, attended his arraignment Wednesday. She told reporters outside court Lewis was overly possessive of Lester.
“Honestly, I think he got to his breaking point,” Wims said. “She drove him crazy. He’s never been like this before.”
Lewis reportedly stabbed Lester during another argument earlier in October, court records show. Charges never were filed in that case.
A witness who saw Lester’s car driving away from the scene Halloween night told police he heard the driver say, “I’m doing to her what she did to me,” court records show.
Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644
adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
Twitter: @TNTadam
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