Teens charged in random attack of woman raped, beaten to death in Milwaukee County park
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Milwaukee (WDJT) — Two teens, ages 15 and 17, have been formally charged with homicide and sexual assault in connection to the killing of 36-year-old Ee Lee in Washington Park on Sept. 16, 2020.
Kamare Lewis, 17, and Kevin Spencer, 15, each face one count of first degree homicide, as party to a crime, and one count of first degree sexual assault (causing great bodily harm), as party to a crime.
Both teens made their initial appearance in court Wednesday, Feb. 10. Their preliminary hearings are both scheduled for Feb. 19.
Investigators say on Sept. 16, Lewis and Spencer — along with other teens — were present in Washington Park. Officials say Lewis and Spencer confronted Lee, who was minding her own business laying out on a blanket in the park, and started to harass her and demand money. Investigators say the harassment quickly escalated to physical violence and sexual assault.
According to a criminal complaint, Lee was beaten, assaulted, and then dragged to the pond in Washington Park and left to die. She was found half-clothed and unconscious and taken to Froedtert Hospital. She died three days later.
An autopsy determined her cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and the manner was determined to be homicide.
The criminal complaint says surveillance video, witness accounts, DNA, and scene evidence helped investigators connect Lewis and Spencer to the crime.
Investigators interviewed Lewis, who — according to the criminal complaint — stated in two different interviews he never called for help after the beating and assault because he thought Lee was dead or soon to be dead and it “wouldn’t have made a difference and that he didn’t really care about her because she is not someone he knows personally.”
“We’re definitely happy to hear a new development in the case,” Jay Smith, the great uncle to Ee’s daughter, told CBS 58 in a phone interview. “We pray this can bring some solace to Ee’s family.”
“We’re all completely heartbroken and devastated,” Tammie Xiong, executive director of the Hmong American Women’s Association, said in an interview. “We’re just completely devastated that this kind of violence occurred at the hands of young people, we really feel that these are just kids that have caused this kind of harm.”
Milwaukee County Sheriff Earnell Lucas released a statement following the arrests and charges saying in part:
“Our investigation remains open and active as we attempt to identify others who may potentially have information or were possibly involved in the death of Ms. Lee. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (414) 278-4788.”
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