The Murder of Lewis ‘Lewy’ Fryer
For this case, I watched an episode of Killer Couples. It’s season 15 episode 4.
A single father of two teenagers is found dead in his home.
Background
Lewis Keith Fryer, or Lewy, was just 50-years-old when he was found dead. Lewy had met his future wife, Tricia, in the 90s. They married within a year of meeting, and eventually had two children, Keith and Kaleigh.
Lewy worked for a high end picture framing company, and Tricia was a stay at home mom. Eventually the couple divorced in 1994 because Tricia had a drug problem, and was in and out of the children’s lives. Lewy was awarded full custody of children.
Lewy was described as a great dad who would’ve done anything for his kids. He also loved sports, especially the University of Oklahoma football games.
Kaleigh, Lewy and Keith Fryer
The 911 Call
On May 13, 2010, the Guthrie, Oklahoma police received a 911 call around 7am. The call was from Kaleigh Fryer, who was only 15. Kaleigh said she had tried to wake up her dad, but saw a lot of blood in his bedroom.
The police responded a few minutes later, and found Kaleigh waiting outside for them. Kaleigh was very upset, and was put into a control car.
The police entered, and found Lewy dead in his master bedroom. He had lacerations on his neck, back and torso. It was clear there had been a violent struggle.
The evidence suggested that Lewy had been asleep when he was attacked. There was blood all over the bed, pillow and walls. Lewy had several defensive wounds on his body. The Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation was called in to assist with the case.
The Timeline
The police asked Kaleigh to walk them through the last 24 hours. Kaleigh said she watched a movie with her dad, and they went to bed around 10:30pm.
Kaleigh said she slept through the night, and woke up before 7am. Kaleigh was surprised when her dad didn’t come into her room to wake her up. Kaleigh said she found her dad, and had told the police on the 911 call that she had never seen a dead body before.
The first theory was that it was a robbery gone wrong. However, the evidence at the scene didn’t match that. There was no forced entry, and nothing had been taken from the home. But, Kaleigh did mention that her dad’s car had been taken, and had been parked in the driveway the night before.
The CSI team discovered that a knife had been taken from the knife block in the kitchen. They also had found blood on the back door of the house most likely from the killer.
The Family History
The police asked Kaleigh if she knew of anyone who’d want to hurt Lewy. Kaleigh said everyone liked her dad, but said that Lewy had kicked her brother out just 3 days before he was killed.
Keith was interviewed in this episode. He was devastated to learn that his dad was killed. He was forthcoming with the police, and admitted to being kicked out after getting into a fight at school. Keith had been at a friend’s house on the night of Lewy’s murder. Keith had also said that Lewy had told his friend that he would let Keith come back to the house. Keith was ruled out as a suspect.
Keith told the police about the history between his parents. Tricia had been in trouble with the law previously for her drug addiction. Tricia had shown up unexpectedly at the police station after the police had tried to contact her.
Tricia was able to prove that she was over an hour away in Oklahoma City during the time of the murder. Tricia also agreed to let the police interview Kaleigh again. But, Kaleigh didn’t tell the police any useful information.
The Secret
A BOLO (be on the lookout) was put out for Lewy’s car. The police also canvassed the area, but Lewy’s neighbors hadn’t seen anything suspicious.
Two friends of Kaleigh’s revealed to the police that Kaleigh had been dating a 21-year-old named Jay Chiles. They also revealed that Kaleigh had also been expelled from school for fighting, and hadn’t been attending school for awhile. Kaleigh would throw parties while her dad was out at work, and would sneak Jay inside too.
Jay didn’t really have much going for him. He was 21, unemployed, and bouncing around from friend’s houses. The relationship was also illegal, as the age of consent in Oklahoma is 16.
The police learned that just 2 days before Lewy’s death, he had confronted Jay about the relationship with Kaleigh. Keith had told his dad after he was kicked out of the house. Lewy forbade the relationship, but Kaleigh continued to sneak Jay in when Lewy was at work or asleep.
Changing Stories
An APB (all points bulletin) was put out for Jay. The police had also discovered Lewy’s car in Valley Brook, Oklahoma, which is about 36 minutes from Guthrie.
Jay had contacted a friend to pick him up just a few minutes from where the police had found Lewy’s car. Jay’s friend had told him that the police wanted to talk to him. She told the police that Jay was willing to talk to them, and a team was assembled to pick him up.
The OSBI searched Lewy’s car, but only found the keys in the center consul. There was no DNA inside the car or any other evidence.
Just 11 hours after Lewy’s murder, the police were sitting across from the person they believed was involved. Jay told the police many stories, including a self defense story, and that he had intended to rob Lewy.
The police confronted Jay, and said that his stories didn’t match up to the evidence. Jay finally admitted to sneaking into the house around 3am. He said Kaleigh showed him where the knives were.
Jay told the police that Kaleigh had asked Jay on many occasions to kill her dad. Kaleigh was tired of her dad’s rules, and wanted to live with her mom. Kaleigh told Jay that she was pregnant with his child, and wanted a future with him. Jay agreed to kill Lewy, who would’ve never let them be together.
Jay said after the attack, Kaleigh showed him where her dad’s car keys were. Jay drove the car to Valley Brook, ditched it, and tried to call Kaleigh to pick him up. Kaleigh had told Jay that she would get her mom to pick him up, but she and her mom never came. Jay also said he ditched the knife while he was driving on the interstate.
The Convictions
Jay was charged with first degree murder, and an arrest warrant was obtained for Kaleigh. Kaleigh was arrested outside a restaurant, where she was having dinner with her mom. Kaleigh was also charged with first degree murder.
The police obtained a warrant for Kaleigh’s phone records. She had claimed that she had slept through her dad’s attack. However, Kaleigh had been on the phone at 3:30am after the murder. She also called Jay at 6:59am, and told him she would call the police. Kaleigh was inside the home with her dad’s body for about 4 hours.
The police also found Kaleigh’s diary in the house. Inside, she had written several different entries about how much she hated her dad. The police listened to her jail house calls, and learned that Kaleigh wasn’t actually pregnant.
In July 2010, Jay pled guilty to first degree murder and theft of an auto. He was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. He will eligible for parole in 2077.
In May 2011, Jay testified at Kaleigh’s trial, where she was being charged as an adult. On May 17, 2011, Kaleigh was found guilty of first degree murder. She was sentenced to life with the possibility pf parole. She will eligible for parole in 2056.
It’s believed that Kaleigh was angry at her dad for his rules. Jay believed he and Kaleigh would be starting a family, and wanted to live happy ever after with her. He was devastated when he found out she was lying about her pregnancy, which is why he testified against her.
Kaleigh Fryer and Jay Chiles
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s clear that Jay was manipulated by Kaleigh. But, Jay was much older, and could’ve decided not to kill Lewy. Lewy tried to stop Kaleigh from dating Jay because the relationship wasn’t right. He was being a good father, and he was killed because of it.
Sources
https://guthrienewspage.com/fryer-receives-life-in-prison-for-killing-of-her-father/
https://mycrimelibrary.com/kaleigh-fryer-teen-killer/
