Murder charges in 1998 shooting dropped

Prosecutors dropped murder charges Tuesday against a woman in connection with the 1998 shooting of a gang member in Spokane.

Maggie S. Fletcher-Lewis, 45, was arrested in June after the man accused in the killing, Lewis Gray III, was taken into custody in Los Angeles. Fletcher-Lewis was accused in court records of purchasing the gun that Gray used in the shooting.

Both arrests were made in connection with the Jan. 14, 1998, shooting death of 19-year-old Curtis Ricky Jones, a drug-dealing gang member from Tacoma who used the street name “Little Slayer,” according to court records.

Witnesses said a gunman, later identified as Gray, shot at Jones 14 times as he ran from his apartment at 2527 E. Pacific Ave. Jones tried to hide between two cars, but the gunman chased him down and shot him once in the back. The bullet passed through his heart, according to court records.

Fletcher-Lewis had arrived at court intending to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, but the charges were dismissed before the hearing.

“I am glad that justice has been done,” she said.

Defense attorney Tracy Scott Collins said he received no explanation from deputy prosecutor Mark Cipolla as to why the charges were dropped.

Fletcher-Lewis said the charges made against her were based on hearsay.

Contacted later Tuesday, Cipolla said additional information has been discovered but no witnesses were available.

“It’s one of the cases that needs a little extra effort,” Cipolla said. “We dismissed without prejudice, meaning we can re-file the murder charges at any time.”