University Place man charged with killing his roommate

Pierce County prosecutors on Tuesday charged a 29-year-old University Place man with second-degree murder in the death of his roommate last month.

A not guilty plea was entered on behalf of Cory Randon Lewis during his arraignment in Superior Court. Court Commissioner Meagan Foley ordered him jailed in lieu of $2 million bail.

Sheriff’s detectives began investigating Lewis on Dec. 11 after he called 911 to report that his roommate, Cory Page, was lying on the floor of their home not moving, court records show.

Deputies dispatched to the home in the 5400 block of Cirque Drive West found Page, 32, dead on the floor with two gunshot wounds. They also found a handgun near his body.

Detectives interviewed Lewis, who told them he’d been gone for a few days and returned home to find Page dead. He was not arrested.

That changed Monday when Lewis allegedly contacted detectives to ask whether they would return to him a computer they’d seized as evidence in Page’s slaying.

Investigators asked him first to undergo a polygraph examination to clear himself as a suspect, court records show. He agreed and failed, the records state.

When confronted with his polygraph results, Lewis allegedly confessed to killing Page.

Lewis told detectives he and Page had argued over some clothes on Dec. 7. During the argument, Page waved around a handgun, Lewis said.

When the argument ended, Page began to walk back to his room, court records show. Lewis retrieved a handgun from his own closet and shot Page twice, the records state.

Lewis told detectives he later threw the gun into Snake Lake.

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 12:22 PM with the headline "University Place man charged with killing his roommate."