Former Gatesville prison nurse sentenced to life for murder, must serve as least 30 years

Sunday, December 07, 2008

By Regina Dennis

Tribune-Herald staff writer

GATESVILLE — A jury sentenced Leslie Megan Lewis-Grant to life in prison Saturday for the murder of her ex-husband.

The former prison nurse must serve at least 30 years of her sentence before she is eligible for parole. Lewis-Grant, 44, also received a 10-year sentence for tampering with evidence after the jury found she disposed of bloody clothing worn by John Tarrell Hopkins, 28, and James Michael Grant Jr., 16, during the Sept. 15, 2007, killing.

Lewis-Grant was convicted Friday of murder after jurors found she had her boyfriend and son kill her ex-husband, James Michael Grant Sr., who went by Michael.

Leslie Megan Lewis-Grant, shown leaving the Coryell County Courthouse on Thursday, must serve at least 30 years before she becomes eligible for parole. (Rod Aydelotte photo)

The victim’s family expressed satisfaction with the sentence.

“Michael Grant’s murder was the culmination of a sinister and self-centered campaign of hatred,” the victim’s sister, Kathy Grant, said while crying and visibly shaking. “Now you may no longer hurt anyone else.”

Lewis-Grant will appeal the decision, defense attorney Russ Hunt Sr. said.

“I was disappointed. Surprised and disappointed,” he said after the verdict.

Hopkins, 28, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to the stabbing murder. Lewis-Grant’s son James, who goes by Jamie, is serving a 45-year prison sentence.

Earlier Saturday, Hunt told jurors that Hopkins was the sole person responsible for the killing, and that Lewis-Grant did not deserve a harsh punishment.

“The easy thing to do would be to max out (the sentences) and go home. That’s the easy thing to go,” Hunt said. “I don’t want you to do the easy thing — I want you to do the right thing.”

‘She was manipulative’

Coryell County District Attorney David Castillo told jurors that Lewis-Grant was the sole orchestrator of the murder, successfully persuading Hopkins and her son to act out her wishes.

“She was the puppet master — she was pulling all the strings,” Castillo said. “She was manipulative, and she manipulated both of them to get what she wanted done. She’s absolutely the reason we’re here.”

Hopkins testified that Lewis-Grant offered him money, as well as Social Security checks she would receive upon her ex-husband’s death, to kill Grant. He told jurors he stabbed Michael Grant in his bedroom as then 15-year-old Jamie watched. Jamie Grant then stomped on his father’s chest several times and assisted with disposing of the body, Hopkins said.

In Saturday’s punishment phase, defense witnesses characterized Lewis-Grant as “a good girl” who went out of her way to help others.

Michael Duncan, Lewis-Grant’s uncle, described his niece as the “light of the family” and stated under questioning that he disagreed with the murder conviction.

“Megan is caring, nurturing. Anyone that needed help, small or large, it was Megan that we turned to,” Duncan said.

No need to hire someone

Julie Morgan, Lewis-Grant’s cousin, said that as a nurse, Lewis-Grant’s character was to nurture and help others — and that her medical background would have given her the ability to carry out a murder herself instead of hiring someone to do it.

“If she wanted to kill Michael Grant, she could have let him die naturally because he didn’t take care of himself with his diabetes,” Morgan said. “She didn’t have to have somebody kill him.”

Michael Grant’s relatives told jurors of their pain from losing a man dedicated to the safety and well-being of his family.

His father, Garnett Grant, denied allegations raised in trial that his son physically abused Lewis-Grant during their marriage. He testified that after divorcing from Lewis-Grant, Michael Grant quit running the family-owned Grant Bar and Grill in Copperas Cove to care for the couple’s two children full time.

“He was managing the grill, and the day we got the verdict (that he was awarded full custody of the children) he closed it down,” Garnett Grant said. “He told me it was so he could have the time to take care of his kids.”

Garnett Grant said that his son worked with him in the family storage and real estate ventures and was preparing to take over the businesses full time. He testified that Michael Grant gave his ex-wife a stove and air-conditioning unit from the storage business and worked to give her more visitation rights with the children beyond what was mandated in the court order.

Victim’s daughter

Jana Ramsey Grant, Michael Grant’s 18-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, said she had been contacting her father a couple of times each month since she was 5 years old, when he discovered he was her father.

She testified that she legally changed her last name to Grant the day before her father was killed, and that he bought her a car the week that he died.

When asked how she will feel when she graduates this spring without her father there, she said, “Empty.”

Under questioning, Ramsey Grant said she felt Lewis-Grant played a major role in the murder.

“Jamie would never have done this on his own. Megan planted that hatred in him to do this,” Ramsey Grant said. “I know she’s manipulative. She knew what she did.”

rdennis@wacotrib.com

757-5755

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By Grant Family

Dec 8, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this

Statement of the Grant Family
On the Conviction of Megan Lewis-Grant
For the Murder of Michael Grant

We will forever mourn Michael�s tragic and untimely death. We are saddened and horrified to know the violence and stupidity that led to his brutal and senseless murder. Michael knew that he had taken the hard road in getting custody of his children, and he took that road without complaint in an effort to give them a chance in life. He gave his life in that cause and we are grateful that the person most responsible for his murder will have her freedom taken from her, in return for having taken the life of the one we loved so dearly. Our grief is immeasurable � for the loved one we lost and the many lives ruined.

The people who knew Michael know that the representation of him made in defense of the accused was a desperate and false fabrication. Michael was a wonderful person, and his efforts to be a good father led directly to his death. He was thoughtful and kind, and was always willing to lend a hand or help someone in need.

Michael loved his children and family, loved his hometown of Gatesville, and loved his friends and living life. He believed that life was good and should be lived to the fullest. He was a rock in our family, an advisor to his friends, and was loved by many in the community that he so loved. He was taking over an extensive family business and making a home for his kids, planning for a happier chapter in his life with a good woman that he loved dearly. Michael leaves two beautiful daughters, Jana Ramsey Grant and Kate Grant, who will carry on in his name and honor him with the lives they lead.

Our family thanks the Sheriff�s Office of Coryell County, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Coryell County Crime Victims� Office, and the Coryell County District Attorney�s Office for ensuring that justice was done in holding all those responsible for Michael�s death accountable. We thank the officers of the court, and the members of the jury for their thoughtful deliberation and service to the community. We thank the many family members and friends that have offered support along this sad path, and we give special thanks to Michael�s friends who have shared in our loss and our tremendous grief.

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