A judge has delayed the joint first-degree murder trial of Clyde Ewing and his 17-year-old son, Demetri Ewing, pending the improvement of COVID-19 numbers in Nez Perce County.
Court proceedings over the last several months have been held via video conference or in person, depending on the rate of infections in the county. The Idaho Supreme Court suspended trials for a time last year, but they were set to resume before the current surge struck the area. The trial in the Jan. 8, 2021, shooting of Samuel Johns in his Lewiston living room had been scheduled to begin Feb. 7 and last two weeks. But with virus infections soaring in the area, the court has again suspended trials.
Investigators allege that a dispute over a stolen bag and gun may be what led to the early morning shooting at Johns’ Seventh Avenue residence on Jan. 8th of last year. According to Lewiston police, the Ewings allegedly rode bicycles there from the Hacienda Lodge and invaded the home while wearing dark clothing and masks. Once inside, they allegedly shot Johns to death in his living room, then fled the scene. No murder weapon has been found.
Prosecutors charged Demetri Ewing as an adult, even though he was 16 at the time of the killing. If convicted, the Ewings could be sentenced to life in prison. (Lewiston Tribune)
