Julian and CJ Lewis Murders: Are Teresa Lewis and Matthew Shallenberger Dead or Alive?

In a rural space close to Danville, Virginia, a stunning double homicide resulted from what the authorities thought was a murder-for-hire plot. The investigation ended with the individuals accountable behind bars. Nevertheless, because the years handed, there have been questions relating to the culpability of every of the culprits. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Deadly Vows: Second Probability at Loss of life’ delves into the loss of life of Julian and Charles “CJ” Lewis in October 2002 and the motive behind their murders. So, let’s discover out extra about what occurred then, lets?

How Did Julian and CJ Lewis Die?

Julian Clifton Lewis Jr. was a 51-year-old man who lived virtually all his life in Danville, Virginia. In 2000, he met Teresa Bean whereas working at a textile manufacturing unit; he was a supervisor there. They married in 2001 and settled in a cellular dwelling. Charles was Julian’s son from a earlier marriage and a member of the Military Reserves. On the time, the 25-year-old was on lively responsibility and stationed in Aberdeen, Maryland. However the father and son would each meet their finish in a terrifying assault at their dwelling on October 30, 2002.

At round 4 am that morning, Teresa known as 911 to report that an assailant had shot her husband and stepson. The authorities arrived to search out Charles lifeless from a number of shotgun wounds to the face, neck, and torso. Julian, who was barely alive when first responders acquired there, died quickly after. He suffered a number of shotgun blasts to the stomach. The police initially thought of theft the motive, however that was rapidly dominated out after speaking to Teresa.

Who Killed Julian and CJ Lewis?

Initially, Teresa claimed to have woken up in the midst of the night time to see a determine on the finish of the mattress she shared with Julian. Afraid, Teresa bumped into the toilet, and minutes later, heard gunshots ring out. However suspicion began to mount on her quickly after the post-mortem outcomes got here again. It was dominated that Charles died someday round 3:15 am, about 45 minutes earlier than Teresa known as 911.

Within the days after the murders, Teresa inquired about receiving Julian’s paycheck and tried cashing in a examine on the financial institution the place he had an account. With a failed polygraph so as to add to the more and more suspicious habits, the authorities honed in on Teresa. Quickly, a lethal plot to have each Julian and Charles killed for monetary achieve got here to the fore. Someday in 2002, Teresa had met Matthew Shallenberger and Rodney Fuller on the checkout line at a neighborhood retailer. She started to have an affair with Matthew not too lengthy after that.

The authorities believed that Teresa mentioned killing Julian and Charles with Matthew and Rodney. She had additionally claimed that Julian was abusive and that the wedding was crumbling. After studying Charles had life insurance coverage in his identify along with her because the secondary beneficiary, the plan was put into movement on October 30, when he was visiting. Teresa left the trailer door open for the 2 to come back in. Matthew shot Julian and Rodney shot Charles whereas Teresa waited within the kitchen.

Then, Teresa took Julian’s pockets and cut up the $300 between Matthew and Rodney. Nonetheless alive when the authorities arrived, Julian stated, “My spouse is aware of who carried out this to me.” It was revealed that aside from having sexual relations with Rodney, Teresa urged her then-16-year-old daughter to have intercourse with him as effectively. Shotgun shells discovered at Matthew’s dwelling got here again a match to those discovered on the scene, tying him to the homicide. When Rodney was arrested, he cooperated with the authorities and claimed Teresa was the mastermind within the killings motivated by monetary achieve.

How Did Teresa Lewis and Matthew Shallenberger Die?

Teresa pleaded responsible to 2 counts of capital homicide for rent, hoping to keep away from the loss of life penalty. Nevertheless, the choose stated, “There isn’t any query within the courtroom’s eyes that she is clearly the top of this serpent.” Teresa was sentenced to loss of life in 2003. Matthew and Rodney each pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit homicide and had been sentenced to life in jail with out the potential for parole. In 2006, Matthew Shallenberger killed himself whereas in jail. He was about 25 years previous on the time.

Teresa’s attorneys later claimed that she was recognized with borderline psychological incapacity and couldn’t orchestrate a murder-for-hire plot. Additionally they stated she had a dependant character dysfunction. Within the years after her incarceration, many believed Teresa was not the mastermind within the crimes. A non-public investigator claimed that in a November 2004 interview, Matthew acknowledged that he deliberate the murders for the cash, including, “Teresa was in love with me. She was very desirous to please me. She was additionally not very good.”

Whereas Matthew signed some pages within the affidavit, he rapidly modified his thoughts, consuming the signed components of the doc. Rodney additionally stated later that Matthew was the mastermind. Nevertheless, regardless of a number of appeals, Teresa’s execution continued as deliberate, and on September 23, 2010, the 41-year-old was put to loss of life by deadly injection in Virginia. Her remaining phrases had been for Kathy Clifton, Julian’s daughter. Teresa stated, “I simply need Kathy to know that I like her, and I’m very sorry.”

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