A North Carolina man wanted in connection with the death of a Nashville woman remains alive and hospitalized, despite social media posts from his family claiming he had died following a traffic crash, police said.
Lewis Shamir Richardson Jr., 44, is wanted on a first-degree homicide warrant in connection with the death of 61-year-old Debbie Allen, whose body was discovered at the former W.L. Greene School in Nashville on Feb. 19.
The case took months to develop. Police said officers initially found Allen during a patrol and detectives continued collecting evidence after the discovery. Investigators also worked with the North Carolina State Crime Lab as they built the case.
Authorities received the final piece of evidence from the crime lab on Sept. 22. Three days later, investigators met with the Nash County District Attorney’s Office and determined there was enough evidence to charge Richardson with first-degree homicide.
Richardson was not taken into custody immediately.
Before officers could serve the warrant, police said Richardson was involved in a bicycle-versus-vehicle crash on Sept. 24. He was taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
The crash later became the source of confusion surrounding the case. Family members reportedly posted on social media that Richardson had died. Nashville Police Chief Caleb Shockley said he contacted the hospital directly and confirmed that Richardson was still alive.
That means the homicide warrant also remains active.
Police have said Richardson and Allen had been in a relationship. Investigators had previously spoken with Richardson during the early stages of the case, but authorities continued working to establish the evidence before moving forward with the homicide charge.
Allen’s death has drawn particular attention in Nashville because she was known in the community. Police described her as someone familiar to members of the department and said her family also had ties to the area.
Authorities have not publicly released all details surrounding how Allen died, and the investigation has not established every circumstance of the case in public.
Richardson is expected to be taken into custody once doctors determine that he can leave the hospital. Police said information about his first court appearance and bond will be provided after the arrest.
For now, the case remains in an unusual position: Richardson is facing a first-degree homicide warrant, but he remains hospitalized and has not yet been formally taken into custody.
The investigation and court process are expected to provide additional details as the case moves forward.
