KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A Kalamazoo County judge says the jail escape of a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend can be used as evidence during his murder trial.
Donnavan Lewis, a former Kalamazoo Valley Community College basketball player, is accused of killing WMU student Aniya Mack after her body was found in a suitcase in Comstock Creek last June.
He is already in prison for escaping from the Kalamazoo County Jail in September, about three months after Mack died.
Lewis was taken into custody about 33-minutes after his escaped when he was found near the Westnedge Hill neighborhood on South Burdick.
In court on Tuesday Lewis’ defense attorney argued that the escape charge should be completely excluded because jurors will consider it as an admission of guilt.
But the judge still ruled that the prosecution could mention the escape, but not talk about Lewis’ conviction and prison sentence.
His murder trial is scheduled to begin on August 8th.
