Girlfriend admits to murder

Tracy Marie Samuel, 40, was indicted for murder on Oct. 18, accused of taking the life of her domestic partner Delbert Charles Lewis the morning of Sept. 27.

According to Detective Mark Holmes with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, officers responded to reports of a shooting on A and M Street just after 4 a.m. and located Lewis in the master bedroom on the floor next to the bed, having suffered a gunshot wound to his left ribcage area, and in critical condition.

Lewis told officers he was asleep when he was shot. He was transported to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital and taken into emergency surgery, where he died as a result of his injuries.

Samuel, who was present upon officers’ arrival, stated that she and the victim were in bed asleep, and she woke up to go to the bathroom, where she smoked crack cocaine.

“The next thing she remembered was dropping the gun. She said she was shocked when the gun went off and she fell to the ground on the side of the bed,” Holmes reported, who added that Samuel said she remembered Lewis on the floor next to her saying he was shot, and she called 911 stating to the officer she accidentally shot Lewis. Samuel was adamant that the home was locked and secured and no one else was in the residence at the time of the shooting besides Lewis and herself.

Samuel remains in the Jefferson County Correctional Facility on no bond.