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Anthony Lewis Jr. is back in court for a retrial on charges of murdering his mother, Cathy Guillaume, and stepfather, Bob Guillaume, in their Rotterdam home in July 2023. Jury selection began on Monday (May 5), following a mistrial declared last month due to a prosecutorial error involving inadmissible evidence.
Lewis faces two counts of first-degree murder, grand larceny, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Prosecutors allege he stabbed the victims and stayed with their bodies for 26 hours before fleeing in his stepfather’s vehicle. He was apprehended in Pennsylvania after crashing the stolen car.
The mistrial occurred when a recording from a police body camera, suggesting Lewis's possible gang affiliation, was mistakenly played in court. Acting Schenectady County Court Judge Mark Caruso had previously ruled this evidence inadmissible. Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney attributed the error to a paralegal's oversight. Despite arguing against the mistrial, Carney acknowledged the need for a new trial.
Lewis maintains his innocence, with his defense attorney, Mark Juda, arguing that the Rotterdam police arrested the wrong person. If convicted, Lewis faces life in prison without parole. The retrial is expected to proceed swiftly, with witnesses ready to testify.