Four years after 19-year-old Tyler Lewis was stabbed and killed on the University at Buffalos North Campus, his mother is still searching for answers about what happened to her son.
Tyler was killed in October 2022. Despite an investigation into his death, no arrests have been made. In 2023, then-Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced that a grand jury had reviewed the evidence but declined to indict anyone in connection with the case.
Now, Tylers mother, Roquishia Lewis, is turning to the courts in hopes of obtaining records related to her sons death and learning more about the circumstances surrounding it.
I miss my son. He used to say, Mom, come on, you have to do better, Lewis said as she reflected on her sons life.
Four years later, the questions surrounding Tylers death remain unanswered for his family.
Any justice? No, Lewis said. Unfortunately, four years later, the same questions remain: Who killed Tyler? What really happened?
Lewis said she will continue fighting for answers and accountability.
I will not stop until I get answers for what happened to my child, she said.
Her latest effort involves petitioning a judge for records connected to the case. Lewis said she wants transparency about the investigation and an explanation of why no one has been charged.
I want full transparency. I want you to tell me what happened to my child. You never did, which I find disgusting, she said. I have victims' rights. This is my child. I sent him to school, and he came back home in a casket, and that should not have happened. Tyler should have been here. He should be here now.
Although the legal process may provide additional information, Lewis acknowledged that no outcome can bring her son back. Still, she hopes the petition will help her family get closer to the truth.
Lewis said she has received word that a determination regarding the individuals whose roles in the case are being considered could come within the next month. The precise nature of that determination was not clear.
My childs life mattered, Lewis said. He was my only son, my only child. He was a great kid, an amazing kid.
The Erie County District Attorneys Office was contacted for comment regarding the familys petition and its continuing questions about the investigation, but we have not heard back at this time.
For Lewis, the fight for answers continues. Four years after Tylers death, she says she remains determined to seek the transparency and accountability her family believes it deserves.
