Alexander J. Lewis strangled his pregnant girlfriend, Zaiylah Q. Bronson, to loss of life in her residence the morning of Aug. 26, 2023, police stated. (Mug shot: Sedgwick County Jail; screenshot: Wichita NBC affiliate KSN)
A homicide defendant claimed he didn’t imply to strangle his girlfriend to loss of life, however search information revealed that he made incriminating searches amid the murder, in accordance with cops.
For instance, Alexander J. Lewis, 22, seemed up “choke maintain,” simply minutes earlier than the sufferer, Zaiylah Q. Bronson, 19, was final seen on surveillance footage. Cops discovered the sufferer a number of hours later, lifeless and stuffed within the defendant’s trunk.
The allegations emerged in {a partially} redacted arrest affidavit unsealed on Thursday in Sedgwick County, Kansas. Lewis, who was arrested Aug. 26, stays on the native jail on a $500,000 bond for capital homicide, information present.
“I simply fell to the ground,” Zaiylah’s mom, Taronza Bronson, advised KAKE in an Aug. 29 report about studying of the killing.
The sufferer attended Wichita State College – her mom stated Zaiylah deliberate on turning into a math instructor.
“She was proud as a result of she all the time needed to inform me, ‘Mother I obtained a brand new automobile. Mother, I obtained a brand new job. Mother, I’m a supervisor now,”” Bronson stated.
“She beloved children,” the 19-year-old’s godmother, Daybreak Wilson, advised KCUR. “She simply beloved individuals.”
Zaiylah Bronson was additionally about 16 weeks pregnant when she died, as indicated within the arrest affidavit.
“She had simply came upon that she was having a boy. And naturally, we had that dialog,” Bronson advised KAKE. “We even had a separate dialog on what she was naming it. And she or he wouldn’t inform me the infant’s identify, she stated no Mother, it’s a shock.”
Officers stated that the homicide surfaced after Lewis’ mom referred to as emergency dispatch. In response to paperwork, she urged her son to name 911 and she or he contacted authorities herself after he advised her that he had strangled Zaiylah Bronson to loss of life.
Cops responded to the scene however discovered nobody on the sufferer’s residence. They pinged Lewis’ cellphone, monitoring him down at his residence, officers stated.
“I obtained scared,” he allegedly stated after officers requested Bronson’s whereabouts. “I used to be in all places. I didn’t know what to do. My keys are on the field in the lounge. She’s in my automobile.”
Cops stated they opened the automobile’s trunk to search out Bronson inside and and not using a pulse, a white blanket coated her.
They did chest compressions, however paramedics arrived and pronounced her lifeless.
In response to cops, Lewis described a contentious relationship and allegedly claimed that Bronson cheated on him and talked to different males a number of occasions.
“Roughly 3 and a half months in the past, Zaiylah came upon that she was pregnant with their youngster,” officers stated.
The scenario allegedly escalated on Aug. 25 when, in accordance with paperwork, Lewis claimed he argued with Bronson. He had been calling her when she was at work, and she or he acquired a name from one other, unknown man on the enterprise line, he allegedly stated.
They picked up the argument later that night time at his residence, and that ended together with her breaking apart with him, and shortly leaving, in accordance with paperwork.
She texted that she was going to search out one other man who would hearken to her, the defendant allegedly stated. Lewis claimed Bronson additionally stated different issues he thought had been meant to worsen him.
“Throughout previous arguments, Lewis acknowledged that Zaiylah grew to become upset with him for leaving her ‘be’ and never pursuing her extra, so he determined to go to her residence,” police wrote.
At roughly 10 p.m. on Aug. 25, he went to her residence. She answered the door whereas on the cellphone with one other man, which made him, in his phrases, “very upset,” he advised police, in accordance with court docket paperwork.
Lewis and Bronson argued all through the night time with out sleeping, and he stated she obtained him to the purpose the place he was “so carried out” with all of the issues she placed on him, he allegedly advised police.
The defendant stated he needed her to cease speaking, so he “grabbed her,” in accordance with paperwork.
“Lewis reiterated a number of occasions about how he didn’t imply to take action and that he didn’t imply to harm her,” officers wrote.
However he allegedly admitted placing his left arm round her neck, whereas supporting the highest of her head along with his proper hand and squeezing her neck.
Requested how lengthy he held her, he allegedly stated, he didn’t know as a result of all he felt was anger.
“Lewis stated that he held Zaiylah in stated method throughout which period she slapped his arm and was unable to talk till she stopped transferring,” police stated. He panicked and checked her, discovering no indicators of a pulse or respiration, he allegedly stated.
The defendant allegedly stated he wrapped her in a blanket and put her in his automobile trunk. He referred to as his mom, who inspired him to return house and name police, in accordance with paperwork. Lewis allegedly stated that he did, however not earlier than returning to Bronson’s residence to select up his beanie.
Requested in regards to the ax and shovel in his automobile trunk with the physique, Lewis stated he was solely storing these there after buying them a number of months earlier than, officers stated.
Police famous the defendant’s alleged search historical past on his cellphone.
“A number of net searches on the night of August 25, 2023, regarded stun weapons, deadly weapons, and ‘weapons that may kill,’” officers wrote. “At 8:02:59 a.m. on August 26, 2023, an internet search was made from ‘choke maintain,’ which preceded Zaiylah final being seen on the residence’s surveillance system by roughly 10 minutes. After a number of net searches concerning abortion, two searches had been made at 08:51:32 a.m. and eight:52:09 a.m. of ‘snapping necks.’ At 10:57:51 a.m., net searches resumed concerning homicide with the final one being looked for at 11:06:33 a.m.”
Surveillance footage at Bronson’s residence advanced confirmed her arriving house alone at 10:14 p.m. on Aug. 25. Lewis arrived there minutes later at 10:32 p.m., officers stated. He allegedly opened his trunk and moved across the contents of the trunk, then loitered across the courtyard and adjoining stairwell earlier than approaching the residence door. It appeared he was allowed contained in the residence, police wrote.
Lewis And Bronson and a canine briefly stepped outdoors to the courtyard a number of occasions by the night time, with the ultimate time taking place at 8:13 a.m., virtually 10 minutes after Lewis’ chokehold search and greater than a half-hour earlier than the search about snapping necks.
A standing convention is about for Oct. 13.
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