A suspect in the April 2015 murder of a 20-year-old father in South Austin is already in prison, police said Monday.
According to court documents, Jamal Boyd, 26, is facing a murder charge in connection to the April 24, 2015 shooting of Lewis Lane. Police said they were called to an area near Gaines Mill Lane and Manchaca Road around 4 a.m. that day after several neighbors called 911 to report gunshots. Lane was found in the street and died around one hour later at University Medical Center-Brackenridge. The victim’s girlfriend told police Lane may have robbed Boyd prior to the shooting. Police noted in the affidavit that Lane was observed exiting the Travis County Central Booking Facility around 11 p.m. April 23, boarding a Capital Metro bus and walking toward East William Cannon Drive at Bluff Springs Road.
The affidavit states Lane used pay phones at two locations, including one for more than an hour to talk to a friend at the Shell gas station at 500 West William Cannon Drive. Surveillance video showed the victim getting into a sedan with another person and leaving.
An inmate at the Travis County Jail informed police on July 1, 2015 that they had information about Lane’s murder. They provided information that came from their girlfriend, which police said led them to speak with her. The inmate’s girlfriend initially said she did not know anyone named Jamal, and ended the interview when questioned further by police.
Police began researching information on Boyd, and found that he had been arrested June 27, 2015 on multiple charges that included aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. After monitoring Boyd’s phone calls made from the jail, police arrested the person who left the Shell station with Lane.
The affidavit states that person – whom KVUE is not identifying since they have not been charged in this case as of March 6 – confessed to being at the scene of the murder but not the person who killed Lane. They said they smoked marijuana with the victim, and called drug dealers when they ran out so they could buy more. After none of them answered, the decision was made to call Boyd, even though the person knew he and the victim had issues.
The driver and the victim picked up Boyd and drove around so the two could attempt to work out their differences. When the driver realized they were not going to work things out, he gave the victim his cell phone so he could find friends to stay with. Police noted in the affidavit that the person’s cell phone records corroborated his statement. When none of the victim’s friends answered their phones, the person said both Lane and Boyd stated they wanted to pull over and fight.
The affidavit states the person pulled over to Gaines Mill Lane. After the victim got out of the vehicle, Boyd produced a weapon and opened fire on him. The person told police Boyd reloaded after shooting Lane and told him to drive him back to his house.
Boyd was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the June 2015 arrest. TDCJ records state he would be eligible for parole in June 2017, but Austin police are now charging him with first-degree murder.
