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Left inset: Martino Lewis (St. Louis County Police/KSDK). Right inset: Kelsey Elem and her mom Calvenita Brock (GoFundMe). Background: The home where Martino Lewis allegedly killed Kelsey Elem (KSDK/YouTube).
A Missouri mother was forced to clean up her daughter’s murder scene last week after the 25-year-old was allegedly killed by her 21-year-old boyfriend, who is facing multiple charges for pummeling the victim and fatally shooting her after an argument, cops say.
“All that blood and brains and whatever in her room, that was pow-pow,” said Calvenita Brock, in reference to how her daughter Kelsey Elem was allegedly killed Thursday night, in an interview with local NBC affiliate KSDK.
Martino Lewis, 21, has been charged with domestic assault, armed criminal action and second-degree murder for Elem’s shooting death in Affton, according to the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s Office and his criminal complaint.
Lewis allegedly told an acquaintance — who later spoke to police — that Elem had been shot while the two of them were driving, and that he had taken her to a hospital. This was “proved to be untrue” during the police investigation, according to Lewis’ complaint.
“Defendant was apprehended in St. Louis City while still in possession of victim’s vehicle and admitted that a physical altercation had occurred,” the complaint says.
Brock hinted to KSDK that Lewis has tried claiming Elem’s death — which was allegedly overheard by an eyewitness — was accidental.
“That was nothing about dropping on the floor,” Brock said about the gun and referencing what she saw while cleaning up her daughter’s murder scene.
“Nothing,” Brock said.
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According to Lewis’ complaint, the eyewitness who spoke to police said they heard the young couple “arguing” and saw Lewis allegedly punch Elem. It’s unclear where this witness was at the time of the shooting, only that they were at the home in the 5800 block of Grace Avenue where everything went down, per cops.
“Victim stated that she was afraid the defendant was going to get her gun and asked the eyewitness to call the police,” the complaint says. “While on the phone with 911, the eyewitness heard a gunshot and observed defendant run out of the residence and flee the scene in victim’s vehicle.”
Lewis was charged last week and ordered held on a $400,000 bond.
Brock, who has launched a GoFundMe, told KSDK that Elem and Lewis had “always been arguing for some reason” as of late and “always getting into it.” Still, her daughter was “always supporting” and “taking care of” Lewis, according to Brock.
“This was a dude she was doing all this stuff for,” Brock said. “For you to kill my baby and she did all this, you didn’t have nothing, not a dime… and this is what you did?”
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