Leon Chew and Germanine Thomas argued inside their Indiana house at 2414 Union St. early January 22, 2022, and whatever happened during that argument, the outcome was that Thomas was dead.
Chew stands trial this week for murder, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, obstruction of justice, carrying a handgun without a permit. If he’s convicted, he will face a sentence-enhancing charge of being a habitual offender.
Thomas’ teenage daughter, Daijahnique Banks, whose bedroom was directly under the room where Thomas was killed, heard her mother and Chew fight.
“I could hear the irritation in her voice,” Banks said. “I couldn’t make out what she said.”
“I heard my mom do a faint laugh like a brush-off laugh.”
Banks heard a loud bang, as if something large had been dropped onto the floor. Then Banks didn’t heard any more arguments. About 10 minutes later, Chew knocked on her bedroom door.
“He was a real antsy,” Banks testified.
“‘You got to come back upstairs. You got to see your mom,’” she said he told her.
Chew and Banks woke Thomas’ son, Quanvonyae Thomas, who went to bed about 6 p.m. Jan. 21 and did not hear Chew and his mother argue.
“I was woken up by Leon and my sister knocking on my (bedroom) door,” Thomas testified. “They said something was wrong with mom.”
The three went upstairs to the room where Germanine Thomas kept her makeup, her clothes and had her vanity and chair. They called it her “beauty room.”
“The light was on and she was on the floor with blood around her,” Quavonyae Thomas testified.
Banks called 911 on her phone and handed it to her brother.
“She’s on the floor,” Quavonyae Thomas told the 911 dispatcher. “She’s not moving. Her head’s busted up and bleeding.
“Hurry, please.”
During the 911 call, Chew left the house, and Lafayette police Officer Israel Salazar saw Chew walking westbound on Union Street as Salazar was heading to the crime scene.
“He was rambling saying he could not be here,” Quavonyae Thomas testified.
Salazar, the first officer on scene, testified that he saw one shell casing at the scene when he arrived at the room. He did not see a handgun.
Tippecanoe County Deputy Prosecutor Cassidy Laux said in opening statements that Chew left the house, ditched the gun and went to a friend’s house. When Lafayette police officer arrived at that house the next morning, Chew lied about his identity.
Chew’s attorney, Kirk Freeman, said Germamine Thomas’ death was not a crime.
“The crux of the case is very simple,” Freeman said in opening statements. “You’re going to hear evidence, and you’re going to see pictures, and they’re going to be ugly.”
Freeman warned they’ll hear about an argument, and prior allegations of domestic violence and fights.
“What you’re not going to hear is this case is how it happened,” Freeman said.
Chew walked into Germanine Thomas’ beauty room just before 1 a.m. Jan. 22, 2021, to find her sitting at her vanity with her back towards Chew, Freeman told jurors in opening statements, which attorneys tell jurors what they expect the evidence to show.
She turned around and had two handguns in her hands, Freeman said, adding that this caught Chew off guard.
Chew and Germanine Thomas argued and then began struggling for control of the handguns when the gun fell to the floor and discharge, striking Germanine Thomas in the head, Freeman said.
The trial continues Wednesday and likely will conclude on Thursday.
If Chew is convicted, jurors will be asked to determine if he is a habitual offender, which will increase the length of sentence he will face.
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