Lakeland police announce 3 indictments, 1 suspect wanted in 2020 Christmas Eve killing of grandmother ^⁠6%

7/31/2026, 9:53:51 AM

Topics: Homicide Investigation, Criminal Justice, Public Safety

Keywords: Lakeland, Police, Indictments, Suspect, Christmas Eve, Killing, Grandmother, Murder, Arrests, Charges

BS Summary: This article contains 17 faulty reasoning types, including Biased Writer Voice, Appeal to Emotion, and Fundamental Attribution Error, with Availability Heuristic as the most egregious example at 9.4% saturation with 62 hits. Analysis detected 490 faulty-reasoning hits from 659 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 13.7% and a BS Rank of ⁠6% (28,648 of 30,213 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 94.80% of the article peer group.

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659 words

Nearly six years after a Christmas Eve shooting claimed the life of a 70-year-old Lakeland grandmother and injured three members of her family, investigators announced multiple arrests and new murder charges.

Lakeland deadly shooting indictments

On Friday, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said that a Polk County grand jury returned indictments against three men in connection with the Dec. 24, 2020, shooting that killed Maebelle Cooper, while detectives continue searching for a fourth suspect.

Police said Taqiy Lewis, 29, was indicted on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Lewis is already serving a 30-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to firearms charges connected to the same case.

Earlier this year, he was sentenced to two consecutive 15-year federal prison terms for possessing the firearm investigators say was used in the shooting.

PREVIOUS : Lakeland man gets 30 years in prison for gun charge tied to Christmas Eve shooting that killed grandmother

Chief Taylor said Keovion Durham, 23, was also indicted.

He was arrested July 23, 2026, on a charge of attempted first-degree murder of Ralph Limones Jr., the husband of Cooper’s daughter.

Durham is being held in the Polk County Jail.

A jury indicted John Spates, 50, who was arrested July 23, 2026, on a charge of manslaughter in Cooper's death.

He is also being held in the Polk County Jail.

Murder suspect at large

Investigators are still searching for Carlos Morris, 43, who is wanted on a warrant for attempted first-degree murder.

Police said Morris was last known to be living in the Lakeland area and is believed to have family in the community.

Anyone with information about Morris' whereabouts is urged to contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6900 or provide anonymous tips through Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-888-400-TIPS (8477).

According to investigators, the breakthrough came after detectives recovered a pistol while serving search warrants connected to the Jan.

30, 2023, Lakeland mass shooting on Iowa Avenue, in which 13 people were shot.

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Police said forensic testing determined the pistol was the same weapon used to kill Cooper during the Christmas Eve shooting.

Investigators said records showed the gun had been purchased by Lewis' girlfriend, who admitted Lewis had access to the firearm.

Taylor said surveillance video placed Lewis at the 2020 shooting scene, while additional photos and videos showed him possessing the handgun and wearing clothing matching what was seen in surveillance footage.

Officers and Lewis' own family members also identified him in the video evidence, police said.

Christmas Eve shooting

The shooting happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2020, outside a Lakeland home where Cooper had gathered with family for Christmas Eve.

Investigators said Cooper, who was not involved in the dispute that led to the gunfire, was shot and killed.

Three other relatives were wounded:

Shawanda Lamones, Cooper’s daughter

Ralph Lamones Jr., Shawanda’s husband

The couple's 13-year-old daughter

Police said multiple suspects fled the scene in several vehicles after the shooting.

Investigators have previously said the violence stemmed from an earlier confrontation involving members of the family before gunfire erupted outside the residence where Cooper had come to celebrate Christmas with her loved ones.

Some of Cooper's family attended today's press conference.

"My mom kept me going.

She was a very strong person.

She believed that if something's done to you that's not right, do what's necessary to make sure you get what's deserved," said Shawanda Lamones, Cooper's daughter.

"This'll never bring my mom back, but it does give some kind of hope that this won't happen to no one's family like it did ours."

Lewis now faces murder charges in addition to the federal prison sentence he is already serving.

Durham and Spates remain jailed as they await court proceedings, while investigators continue searching for Morris.

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Lakeland police announce 3 indictments, 1 suspect wanted in 2020 Christmas Eve killing of grandmother ^⁠6%

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Shawanda Lamones

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Lakeland police announce 3 indictments, 1 suspect wanted in 2020 Christmas Eve killing of grandmother ⁠6%

Speakers

Shawanda Lamones

Analysis

Biases

Fallacies

Manipulations

Lakeland police announce 3 indictments, 1 suspect wanted in 2020 Christmas Eve killing of grandmother ^⁠6%