February 9, 2021
MILWAUKEE—Two Milwaukee teenagers are facing homicide charges in the September 2020 rape and murder of Ee Lee. She was found brutally beaten and left for dead in Washington Park.
Kamare Lewis, 17, and Kevin Spencer, 15 each face one count of first-degree intentional homicide, as party to a crime and one count of first-degree sexual assault (great bodily harm), as party to a crime, according to Fox 6.
Lee was found on September 16, 2020, in Washington Park by “bystanders,” still breathing but unconscious, severely beaten, and left for dead. She was undressed below the waist, indicating sexual assault. She suffered severe contusions to the face/head. A hospital examination confirmed the sex assault.
She died Sept. 19 due to blunt force trauma to her head.
A criminal complaint said video footage showed five to six people potentially involved in the crime running from the area. It appeared Lee had been taken from a blanket to a tree, where the sexual assault occurred. She was then dragged to the edge of the pond and left for dead. Based on the video, investigators learned it was “probably teenage boys or young men associated with each other” who were involved, according to Fox 6.
A witness whose DNA was found on a bottle at the scene told investigators he walked to the park with Lewis and Spencer and “they saw this lady on a blanket in the park…” and “walked up to her to see if she had any money, and started harassing her.” He said Lewis and Spencer began hitting and kicking her, dragging her to the area where the assault happened. He said he “didn’t want to be involved and started walking away” when he was struck by a juice bottle thrown by one of the defendants.
Prosecutors said Spencer confessed to this witness that he and Lewis beat and raped Lee.
Lewis “tried to downplay his role in the incident,” telling investigators that Spencer and “others” did most of the beating, according to the complaint.
He even added, “incredibly,” the complaint notes, that Lee “volunteered to have…sex with the defendant and others present” but other people came around and the group started beating her — despite the video evidence noted by prosecutors.
The complaint said Lewis suggested Spencer “was the most aggressive” and that he beat Lee “more brutally” as more people gathered.
In all, prosecutors say Lewis admitted to beating Lee, sexually assaulting Lee, leaving Lee for dead near the pond and not calling for help, noting that he thought Lee was dead and “didn’t really care about her because she’s not someone he knows personally.”
DNA from Lewis and Spencer were found on Lee’s denim jacket and on her body, the complaint noted.
Feature Images via Fox 6