Testimony: Plan was to rob Cordal Lewis, not kill him, in 2022

CEDAR RAPIDS — The owner of a home near where Cordal Lewis was fatally shot testified Thursday that his roommate had said she and others, including the alleged shooter, Kazius Childress, and others planned to rob Lewis but didn’t plan to kill him.

Pierra Baugh, 34, also charged in 19-year-old Lewis’ fatal shooting on Jan. 27, 2022, told homeowner Clee Barney that she took the gun used to kill Lewis out of the Barneys’ mailbox, where Childress had left it, and hid it in the basement.

Barney didn’t know where the gun was, but police found it at his house. After the shooting Barney was convicted in federal court for possessing a gun as a felon, but not for the murder weapon. It was for Baugh’s gun, also found in Barney’s house.

Barney, under a lengthy cross-examination and redirect examination, admitted he lied to police and gave false statements to protect his family because he feared retaliation from Childress and others if he told police about witnessing the robbery and shooting.

Childress, 22, is on trial this week in Linn County for first-degree murder and going armed with intent. Testimony began Wednesday. The trial is expected to go into next week.

According to testimony Wednesday, Lewis was running away from Childress, who fired 11 times, hitting Lewis multiple times in the back, hitting his sternum and going through his heart.

Lewis was found dead in the street near 309 31st Street Dr. SE — Barney’s house. Childress, Baugh and others first robbed Lewis of money and some jewelry he was wearing.

The defense, during an opening Wednesday, said Lewis was the aggressor and Childress tried to get away and told Lewis to leave,

Thursday testimony

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During Thursday’s testimony, Barney said he told police “a lot of stuff to not be involved in this situation.” He admitted that he didn’t give police the SD card from his surveillance camera until May 2022.

He said he didn’t know initially know about the SD card and didn’t know if it had recorded the shooting or not — which it did — but he did turn it over because he wanted to clear his name. Barney had heard rumors on the street that somebody was blaming him for the killing.

Adrian Haughton, Childress’ lawyer, on cross-examination, said Barney admitted in the federal plea that he didn’t turn over the video footage and knew it captured the shooting incident. Barney said he signed it and admitted to the stipulated facts to receive less prison time. He was sentenced to 43 months but received 14 months less with the plea agreement.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks, on redirect, asked Barney, who is from Chicago, if he had seen people in the past witness robberies that put themselves in danger. Barney said he had.

Barney said he didn’t want to be involved and wanted to protect his family. He feels he might be in danger today but had to testify.

During the shooting, Barney said Lewis was asking Childress to give him the gun. He asked Childress if he could get “his” gun back.

Barney agreed with Adrian Haughton, Childress’ lawyer, that Lewis may have aggravated the situation.

Maybanks, on redirect, asked if Lewis had any place to go when Childress was telling him to leave. Lewis wouldn’t want to get in a car with Kavon Johnson, 22.

Barney agreed because Johnson was part of the robbery and brought Lewis to the house that day.

Maybanks asked did it matter what Lewis said to Childress because he didn’t have a gun.

Barney agreed. Childress had the gun.

Other testimony

In other testimony, two neighbors said they heard gunshots and saw Lewis’ body lying in the street.

Nicholas Yasa said he saw someone in a tan or silver Chevrolet Impala drive up and stop about 2 feet from Lewis’ body and a male with fair complexion, wearing a hoodie pulled over his head got out of the front passenger seat and asked Yasa, who was near the body, if he was dead and Yasa said yes.

The man then walked over to the body and took out something from his coat pocket, Yasa said. It was small, black and rectangular. He said the man seemed angry.

Several officers who responded to the shooting incident, testified about finding Lewis dead in the street with a large amount of blood around him.

Michelle Kiesey, medical investigator with the Linn County Medical Examiner’s Office, said she checked Lewis’ pockets and found a charger, key, face mask and three chain necklaces. He wasn’t wearing any jewelry and had no cash or phone.

Barney testified Wednesday that during the robbery, Childress told Lewis to hand over a chain he was wearing, and Johnson and Baugh were taking money from Lewis’s pockets.

Cedar Rapids Police Officer Weston Wery testified that during a safety sweep of Barney’s house after the shooting and before they obtained a search warrant, he found Baugh in a back bedroom. She had multiple bills in her back pocket and there was a cellphone near her. He didn’t know if was hers but it repeatedly rang while he was doing the sweep.

At that time, Wery didn’t know about the robbery, so he wasn’t concerned about her having the money.

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