Roanoke Police: Child's body found in trash

Updated 9:47 p.m.

NEWS RELEASE from Roanoke City Police Department:

Roanoke Police Department Continues Investigation into the Death of Aveion Malik Lewis

Roanoke, VA- Since the initial report of the disappearance of Aveion Malik Lewis, the Roanoke Police Department has been committed to locating him.
The initial investigation was treated as an abduction. However, due to conflicting information during the initial investigation, investigators identified and located trash collected from the immediate area of the 2100 block of King Charles Avenue. The trash was secured at the Smith Gap Landfill operated by the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority. Searches of the trash were conducted as the weather permitted. On January 27, search teams made a discovery while searching the trash collected from the immediate area of the 2100 block of King Charles Avenue. The Medical Examiner’s Office was contacted, and personnel from that office responded and confirmed the discovery is that of the body of a small child. The child’s body has been transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine identity and cause of death.

The Roanoke Police Department thanks the community for its overwhelming support during this investigation. Numerous citizens have called providing tips in this investigation and offering to assist in the search for Aveion’s body. The Department also thanks the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Roanoke Fire/EMS, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and numerous local and state public safety agencies for their assistance. The Roanoke Police Department continues to call on citizens to help in this investigation. Anyone with information should call the Department at (540) 853-2212.

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Updated 5:57 p.m.

Court records show the Commonwealth's Attorney planned to present a murder charge to a grand jury on Mondy against Brandon Lockett, the step-father of Aveion Lewis.

However, that was before a child's body was found at the Smith Gap Landfill today.

The Commonwealth's Attorney now plans to wait until after an autopsy on the body to decide whether or not to file additional charges against Lockett.

Lockett is already charged with child neglect, improper disposal of a body, and obstruction of justice.

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5:05 p.m.

By Megan Farley, in the field
WSLS Anchor
mfarley@wsls.com

At a news conference about the Aveion Lewis case, Roanoke Police said a small child's body found by searchers in trash, but it has not been officially ruled as Aveion Lewis.

Investigators tell us the body was found around 12:30 p.m. today at the Smith Gap Landfill in Roanoke County. The body was found in trash collected near and around the Jamestown Apartments, where Aveion's family lives.

The child's body has been taken to the Roanoke Medical Examiner's office to be positively identified.

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3:41 p.m.

Roanoke City Police have called a news conference for 5 p.m. to discuss the Aveion Lewis case.

The police department is not allowing reporters to show the news conference live. WSLS will have a crew inside to bring you what is said.

Officers have been searching Smith Gap Landfill again today, following Tuesday's restart of the search in Roanoke County. The landfill had identified trash brought in from Roanoke when Aveion Lewis disappeared, and had set it aside for investigators to search.