AVEION MALIK LEWIS - 2 yo (2010) - Roanoke VA

VIRGINIA - Virginia State Police have issued an Amber Alert for a missing 2-year-old boy believed to be in extreme danger.
Authorities say Aveion Malik Lewis was last seen in the 2100 block of King Charles Avenue in Roanoke, Va on Thursday.


Lewis is described as a black male who is 2'6" tall, with brown eyes and
close cut black hair. He was wearing Sponge Bob Squarepants footie
pajamas.
Officials say the child was likely abducted by three adult males traveling in a 90's white Chevy Blazer.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call police at (540) 853-2212 or (800) 822-4453.

Roanoke, VA - Police in Roanoke are searching for a missing
child. Roanoke Police are investigating the reported abduction of two
year old Aveion Lewis. Officers responded to an apartment in the 2100
block of King Charles Avenue at 6:41 Thursday night. An adult female
told officers that her two year old son had been abducted from her
home. She tells police that three or more suspects entered her home,
assaulted an adult male, and reportedly knocked him unconscious. When
the male awoke he reported that two year old Aveion Lewis was missing,
and a four year old female child was bound and restrained. The suspects
are described as three black males.
Here is a description of the three suspects: The first is a black male,
with a dark complexion. He is likely in his late 20's, around 6' tall
and wore all black clothing, a black jacket with fur around a hood, and
a black scarf. He reportedly had a full beard. The second suspect is a
light-skinned black male, also in his late 20's, about 5'11", and wore
a Saint Louis Cardinals cap over his dread locks. A third suspect is
described as a light-skinned black male, also 5'11", and likely in his
early 20's.
The suspects were possibly traveling in a large white SUV.

Virginia State Police have issued an amber alert for an infant boy who
was violently removed from his home in Roanoke. Aveion Malik Lewis, who
turns 2-years-old in two weeks, was taken from his home after his
father was knocked unconscious after opening the back door to their
home. The three suspects were seen hanging around the back of the
stepfather's residence even after he had asked them to leave. A note
was left behind demanding money.

Aveion is a black male infant, 2 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing 26
ponds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was last wearing yellow
Sponge Bob Squarepants footie pajamas.

The first suspect is known by the name Tony. He is a black male, 6 feet
02 inches, and was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black puffy fur
collar jacket, and a black du rag. He has a full beard, and is in his
late twenties. He had been hanging around the victim's residence even
after Aveion's stepfather had told him to leave.

The second man is described as a black male, 5 feet 11 inches tall with dreadlocks and was wearing a red baseball cap.

The third suspect is described as a black male, 5 feet 11 inches, wearing brown hat with white writing.

Roanoke police have set up a 24-hour command center to help find a missing two-year-old, who they believe is in danger.
State Police have issued an Amber Alert for Aveion Lewis.
Investigators say three men abducted the boy Thursday night after attacking his step-father.
Avieon's stepfather said he was dozing off just before 6:30 p.m.
Thursday night when there was a knock. The next thing he remembers is
waking up to hysterical crying and seeing his four-year-old daughter
bound and gagged.
Believing they were attacked because of an extended family member's
financial debt, Morgan and Brandon Lockett can only sit, and beg, for
their son's release.
A ransom note, that they way was left in their apartment demands $10,000.
"I mean we've got the money. We'll give it up," Brandon said.
"I just want my baby back," Morgan said. "Just bring him home, he
didn't do nothing to nobody... we didn't do nothing to nobody, just
bring him home."
The Roanoke Police have spent the past 24 hours on the ground, and
in the air, looking for Avieon. The FBI is providing some extra
manpower by going door-to-door asking questions.
Outside the Lockett's apartment on King James, everything appears normal, but many people here are nervous.
Danielle Deacon and her children live across the street.
"It's kind of scary because you really don't want the kids out .
You're, like, watching them every second because you're afraid that
somebody is going to come back and take your children," she said.
Police say they do have good leads, just nothing that has yet to lead to Avieon.
The Lockett's don't believe this is random, and are directly
appealing to the men, they believe, are responsible for Avieon's
disappearance.
"Please... I just want him back. I won't call the police. I'll just
give the money up and just get him. You can just bring him and leave
him. Just take the money. They can have it. I just want my son back,"
Brandon pleaded.
Making the situation even more critical, Avieon's stepfather says
the boy requires special attention in order to keep his body
temperature at appropriate levels.
Call the tip line at 540-853-2212 if you have any information.

The kidnappers knocked the stepfather unconscious, bound and gagged
a girl, ransacked the house and left a ransom note before taking the
2-year-old boy.
Thursday's reported violent abduction of Southeast Roanoke toddler
Aveion M. Lewis received national media attention on Friday as police
and FBI agents continued searching for him.
He was home with his stepfather, Brandon Lockett, and three siblings
when a knock came from the back door of their duplex in Jamestown
Place, Lockett said Friday.
As soon as Lockett opened the door, he was knocked unconscious, he said.
"All I felt was just a bam," he said. He said he didn't know what he was hit with.
Lockett, who had a cut on his lip and evident swelling on his face
Friday morning, said he woke up in the living room just as his wife,
Morgan Lockett, returned home.
They found their 4-year-old girl gagged and bound in a bedroom. Two
other children, a 2-year-old girl and an 11-month-old boy, were not
harmed.

A path behind Jamestown Place goes over a stream and into the back
parking lot of a Food Lion,
where the suspects are said to have parked
when they abducted Aveion Lewis, 2

Police were called about 6:40 p.m. and searched the neighborhood
with K-9s. Virginia State Police brought in a helicopter that has an
infrared camera to detect body heat.
On Friday, detectives knocked on doors in the area and showed
residents pictures of the boy. Officers throughout the city handed out
fliers. The FBI showed a photo of Aveion on electronic billboards
across the state, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children sent information on the case to police departments within 100
miles of Roanoke.
Police had also set up a command center at its downtown
headquarters, which will be open 24 hours to take tips and review
information.
Police had not ruled out any possibility in the case as of Friday evening, said Aisha Johnson, the department's spokeswoman.
Brandon Lockett was able to give police a description of each
suspect, because he said he'd seen them hanging around the duplex
earlier in the day.
At one point, he asked them to leave, and one of the men said his name was Tony, and that he knew a friend of Lockett's.
Lockett said he believes the abductors were using his family to get
to someone he knows because the ransom note, which asked for $10,000,
was addressed to that person. Lockett declined to disclose the name on
the note.
He said he is angry that the men involved his family in their dispute.
"We live a simple life," he said. "We don't bother nobody."
The Locketts' anger mixed with anguish as the couple waited at home Friday for news of Aveion.
"I just want my baby back," Morgan Lockett said.
She is particularly worried about her son's health because he was
born premature and has digestive problems. As a result, he doesn't have
a lot of fat on his body, and has to be kept warm or his body
temperature drops quickly, the family said.
But the Locketts remain hopeful.
Aveion will be 3 on Jan. 26, and the family is still planning to celebrate his birthday at Chuck E. Cheese.
"He's going to come home," Brandon Lockett said.
Until he's found, the family said prayer is all that can help them.
"God's going to keep him safe," Lockett said.

The FBI and the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children are now assisting state and local police in a
missing toddler case. An Amber Alert was issued Thursday for two year
old Aveion Lewis. He was taken from his home in Roanoke Thursday
night. Police say three men entered the apartment, knocked a man
unconscious and then tied up a four year old girl. The family says, the suspects also left behind a ransom note.
Saturday, family and friends stepped up efforts to find Aveion. From
searching the neighborhood on foot for clues to passing out fliers as
far as Salem. Despite all of this, there are still more questions than
answers. “We have not heard a thing. Nobody has called, nobody has any
news or information, anything”, said Cara Ward, Aveion’s Aunt.
The family says investigators were in the neighborhood throughout the
day Saturday. FBI agents as well as Roanoke City Police are working to
canvas the neighborhood, talking to people about what they may have
seen or heard the night of the kidnapping. As for the family, they
continue to do what they can to get the word out, until Aveion is home
safe. “Kids are innocent and children have nothing to do with whats
going on. Just please bring back my nephew”, said Ward.
If you have any information on Aveion Lewis, call Virginia State Police at 1-800-822-4453 (1-800-VACHILD).

An Amber Alert remained active today for a 2-year-old boy who was kidnapped last Thursday night in Roanoke.
Richmond-area police were put on the lookout Friday morning for a
sport utility vehicle that may have been used in the kidnapping, but as
of today, no arrests had been made in the case.
Police said a white, 1990s model Chevrolet Blazer is believed to
have been used in the kidnapping of 2-year-old Aveion Malik Lewis.
Authorities said three men went in a Southeast Roanoke apartment,
knocked the boy's stepfather unconscious, bound and restrained a
4-year-old girl and took Aveion with them. A note was left demanding
money.
Roanoke police said their officers and FBI agents revisited the area
Saturday and conducted a door-to-door canvass of the neighborhood.
Amber Alert officials with the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children said the three suspects were as black males. One was
in his late 20s and was 6 feet, 2 inches tall, with a dark complexion,
medium build and was wearing a black sweatshirt, jacket and scarf.
Another was in his late 20s and was 5 feet, 11 inches tall with a light
complexion, medium to muscular build with dread-locked hair and slanted
eyes and was wearing a red St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap. The third
was 5 feet, 11 inches tall with a light complexion and thin build and
was wearing a black hat with white writing on it, a white shirt and
blue jeans.
Anyone with information can call Virginia State Police at (800) 822-4453 or Roanoke police at (540) 853-2211.

Poster's Note: As this is now a death investigation, not yet a murder I have posted here in Unresolved.

On January 14th, the stepfather of Aveion
Lewis, Brandon Lockett, called 911 saying someone beat him up and
kidnapped Aveion. Police now say he was lying.

“All indications are Aveion was deceased prior to the 911 call made on the 14th,“ says Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins.

Aveion’s body still hasn’t been found. Tuesday night the Lockett
home was an active crime scene and Chris Ward, Aveion’s Uncle, was
still in shock even though he didn’t believe Lockett’s story from the
beginning. “We had already put this together when it hit, but I’m not
prepared for it.“

Police are calling this a death investigation at this time, not a
murder. Lockett is being questioned but has not been officially
charged. For some family members, there still isn’t a sense of
closure. “They still haven’t found his body,“ said Ward.

The search for Aveion Lewis took an abrupt turn Tuesday when the
2-year-old boy's stepfather told investigators that the toddler is
dead, Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins said at a news conference.
The stepfather, Brandon Lockett, was being held Tuesday for
questioning, Gaskins said. The boy's mother, Morgan Lockett, also has
been questioned.
No one has been charged, and police did not release information on how Aveion might have died.
On Thursday, police were called to the couple's duplex in Jamestown Place in Southeast Roanoke for a reported abduction.
Brandon Lockett told police that three men had knocked him
unconscious, ransacked the house and restrained a 4-year-old girl
before taking Aveion. Brandon Lockett also said the men left a ransom
note demanding $10,000.
The report led to an Amber Alert and police searched for Aveion for
days, conducting traffic stops, canvassing his neighborhood and passing
out fliers with the boy's picture. Virginia State Police and the FBI
also were involved.
But investigators had doubts early on about the validity of the reported abduction, Gaskins said.
"We had some reservations about the stories that were being told,
but considering the child, we couldn't afford to assume that an
abduction had not occurred, so we certainly had to work it from the
angle that there had been an abduction," Gaskins said.
During the investigation, police received varying degrees of
cooperation from people they interviewed, Gaskins said. That led them
to question the validity of the information they were receiving,
especially from Brandon Lockett, Gaskins said.



On Tuesday, Lockett told police that Aveion was dead even before the
family reported the abduction, according to Roanoke police spokeswoman
Aisha Johnson.
Police on Tuesday expanded the search for the toddler's body, and they will continue searching today.
Relatives had organized a search for Saturday using Facebook, but it
was unclear Tuesday night whether they would continue with those plans.
Morgan Lockett's brother, Chris Ward, said in an interview Tuesday
that his family also had doubts about Brandon Lockett's story.
"I believe that he could have done something to him," Ward said
Tuesday before police announced that they believe Aveion is dead.
Ward also said he found it strange that his sister hadn't been reaching out to the family since Aveion's disappearance.
"I believe he has my sister scared to say something."
Ward was too distraught to be interviewed Tuesday after he learned of Aveion's death.
Police are asking anyone with information about the investigation to call them at 853-2212.

Roanoke police have charged the stepfather of Aveion Malik Lewis with
child neglect, improper disposal of a human body and obstruction of
justice, police said in a news release this afternoon.
Brandon
Lockett had told police that on Thursday three men knocked him out and
abducted his 2-year-old stepson. On Tuesday, he told police that the
child was dead even before he was reported missing.

Police are continuing to search for the toddler's body and have not released information on how Aveion might have died.

On Jan. 14, police were called to the couple's duplex in Jamestown Place in Southeast Roanoke for a reported abduction.
Brandon Lockett told police that three men had knocked him
unconscious, ransacked the house and restrained a 4-year-old girl
before taking Aveion. Brandon Lockett also said the men left a ransom
note demanding $10,000.
The report led to an Amber Alert and police searched for Aveion for
days, conducting traffic stops, canvassing his neighborhood and passing
out fliers with the boy's picture. Virginia State Police and the FBI
also were involved.
But investigators had doubts early on about the validity of the
reported abduction, Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins said in a Tuesday
news conference.
"We had some reservations about the stories that were being told,
but considering the child, we couldn't afford to assume that an
abduction had not occurred, so we certainly had to work it from the
angle that there had been an abduction," Gaskins said.

As the search for Aveion Lewis' body continued Wednesday, Roanoke police charged his stepfather in the toddler's disappearance.
Brandon Lockett, 24, is charged with felony child neglect, improper disposal of a human body and obstruction of justice.
Other charges may be considered by the grand jury in February, Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell said.
Lockett's criminal record tracks back to Georgia, where court
records show that, among other convictions, he was found guilty in 2006
of striking the mother of his child with a candleholder.
The search for Aveion began last Thursday, when Lockett told police
that three men knocked him unconscious and abducted his 2-year-old
stepson from their Jamestown Place duplex in Southeast Roanoke.
Police questioned the validity of that information, and on Tuesday,
Lockett told authorities that the child was dead even before he was
reported missing.
Police have not released any information on how the boy may have died, and his body had not been found as of Wednesday night.
Neither Caldwell nor Roanoke police Capt. Curtis Davis would explain
why Lockett has been charged with child neglect, or whether that led to
the toddler's death, because of the ongoing investigation.
"The charges are appropriate for what we have developed at this time," Davis said.
Lockett has been cooperating in some aspects of the investigation but not others, Davis said.
Lockett has a criminal record in Georgia, where he is still on
probation for possession of cocaine, according to court documents.
He also has a history of violence.
Court records from Bibb County, Ga., show that in 2006 Lockett was
accused of striking Janet Balkcom, the mother of his infant, with a
candleholder.
He pleaded guilty to the family violence simple battery charge and
was sentenced to one year of probation, according to court records. He
was also required to attend a family violence intervention program and
pay a fine.
About a month later, Lockett forced his way into Balkcom's home and
fought with a man, according to court records. Balkcom called police
from a neighbor's house.





Officers noticed a large amount of blood on the floor, and that a
table lamp was broken. The victim fled from the house and wasn't seen
again.
Lockett pleaded guilty to family violence criminal trespassing in that case.
He served 60 days in jail and then returned to probation.



In two separate instances in Roanoke last year, Lockett was pulled
over for speeding and for driving on a learner's permit without a
licensed driver. Police also cited him both times for not having a
child restraint in the car, according to court records.
Lockett is being held at the Roanoke City Jail without bond.
Meanwhile, the search for Aveion's body continued Wednesday with more than 60 volunteers.
Search teams, including those on horses and with cadaver dogs, were
sent out to the banks of the Roanoke River, wooded areas near the boy's
Jamestown Place duplex and to an industrial area.
Volunteer Jeanne Kauffmann and her black Labrador retriever, Lakota,
searched the muddy and sometimes steep banks of the river with a
Roanoke police detective and a police cadet.
They looked under tarps, and through trash that littered the area.
Sometimes Kauffmann directed Lakota to sniff out spots that looked
suspicious, or go through tractor trailers parked in an industrial area.
At one point, she pointed Lakota to a dirty pillow, but the dog didn't signal that anything was there.
Detective Rich Cooper, who was searching with Kauffmann, said the ongoing investigation has been frustrating for police.
"We just want to find him," he said.
Freezing rain is expected today, which could hamper search efforts.
Davis said police would continue following up on leads even in inclement weather.
"Until we find him, we're going to continue working this case as much as we possibly can," Davis said.
He believes that there are people who have information, or who could
get information, that could lead police to Aveion's body. He urged them
to call police at 853-2212.

OMG, this is just horrible. What did he do with that baby?

Tuesday Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins (left) said Aveion Lewis is dead and police have expanded the search for his body.

The search for Aveion Lewis took an abrupt turn Tuesday when the 2-year-old
boy's stepfather told investigators that the toddler is dead, Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins said at a news conference.
The stepfather, Brandon Lockett, was being held Tuesday for questioning, Gaskins said.

The boy's mother, Morgan Lockett, also has been questioned.
No one has been charged, and police did not release information on how Aveion might have died.
On Thursday, police were called to the couple's duplex in Jamestown Place in Southeast Roanoke for a reported abduction.
Brandon Lockett told police that three men had knocked him unconscious,
ransacked the house and restrained a 4-year-old girl before taking
Aveion. Brandon Lockett also said the men left a ransom note demanding
$10,000.

The report led to an Amber Alert and police searched for
Aveion for days, conducting traffic stops, canvassing his neighborhood
and passing out fliers with the boy's picture. Virginia State Police
and the FBI also were involved.

But investigators had doubts early on about the validity of the reported abduction, Gaskins said.
"We had some reservations about the stories that were being told, but
considering the child, we couldn't afford to assume that an abduction
had not occurred, so we certainly had to work it from the angle that
there had been an abduction," Gaskins said.
During the investigation, police received varying degrees of cooperation from
people they interviewed, Gaskins said. That led them to question the
validity of the information they were receiving, especially from
Brandon Lockett, Gaskins said.

Roanoke police have suspended their search for the body of little
Aveion Lewis, because of the weather. They'll pick up the search again
when things clear.
Meanwhile, there is new information about Aveion's disappearance and
his stepfather. Brandon Lockett is now in jail, charged in connection
with the boy's death. One of the more startling accusations is that
Brandon Lockett may have been setting his alibi in motion at least a
day before Avieon was reported missing.
Lockett's neighbor, James Tyree claims Lockett was already setting
the stage for Avieon's abduction a full day before the boy went missing.
"He tried to say he had an anonymous call. He showed me his phone.
Yes it had an anonymous call... but I thought that was suspicious,"
Tyree said.
Suspicious because, as Tyree describes it, Lockett claimed the call came from the would-be kidnapper.
"I think he was trying to set the whole situation up himself."
According to courts documents, police searched the Lockett's home
looking for several items including guns, bullets, tools used to
dismember or maim, as well as books or other media related to child
kidnappings.
The documents also describe the 16-months Aveion spent in foster
care. He was taken from the Locketts for not complying with medical
instructions to keep Aveion healthy. He had a section of his intestine
removed and needed a special diet. At 14 months, Aveion weighed less
than 9-pounds and was placed in foster care due to a "failure to
thrive." Within 45-days in foster care his weight doubled, but a
prolonged court battle was won by the Lockett's and Aveion was returned
last September.
The records say that since then, Aveion suffered from blistering
burns on both legs caused by a home heater. The Lockett's claimed that
medical attention was never sought out because Aveion had "a high
threshold for pain" and because the family had previous run-ins with
the Department of Social Services.
Other information related to Lockett's past also came out in the
documents, including the fact that Lockett was under the influence of
drugs the night Aveion was reported missing. Those documents also list
this investigation as a murder investigation and not one of a missing
person.
Lockett was also convicted of two charges in 2006 and 2007 in Georgia; both involving "family violence."

The search for Aveion Lewis continued
Friday along the Roanoke River and in the woods. Meanwhile a search
warrant highlights details of a case police are now investigating as a
murder.

Back in 2008, Aveion was taken from the home of his stepfather,
Brandon Lockett and his biological mother Morgan Lockett for “failure
to thrive”. He was then put into foster care. At 14 months old he
weighed only nine pounds.

Friday, the Department of Social Services tells Ten On Your Side
while Aveion was in foster care, Brandon Lockett was ordered to take
domestic violence alternative classes and Morgan Lockett a parenting
education class, all while having supervised visitation.

Because they complied, Social Services says in December 2008, the
Lockett’s were granted extended visitation rights. In March 2009, full
care with department legal custody and visits by a social worker. Then
on September 19th, Social Services recommended legal custody of Aveion
to his mother.

Four months later, Aveion is dead and Brandon Lockett is at the
center of the investigation. Court documents show he has a prior drug
conviction from Georgia as well as two arrests involving family
violence in 2006 and 2007. Brandon Lockett has yet to be charged with
murder and police say the investigation is ongoing.

Social Services says a new child protective services investigation is underway and they are cooperating with police.

James Lewis took his son, Aveion, and daughter, Gabrielle, to family
cookouts, and spent time with them at home. But that changed, Lewis
said, when the children's mother began dating Brandon Lockett.
"It just seemed like she was shutting me out of my kids' lives,"
Lewis said Friday, the first time he's spoken publicly since Aveion's
death.

James Lewis, biological father of Aveion Lewis,
says he struggled to get custody of both his daughter and son.


Lewis, 23, also talked about his custody battles with Morgan Lockett and the Department of Social Services.
Social Services issued a statement Friday about Aveion's case.
Social workers put him in foster care for 16 months after he was found
to be severely underweight. He was returned to his home after the
Locketts completed classes and other requirements, the news release
said.
Police are still searching for the 2-year-old's body. The Locketts
reported to police Jan. 14 that Aveion was abducted, but Brandon
Lockett later told police that the toddler had died.
Police haven't said how Aveion might have died, but a search warrant
said they are investigating the toddler's death as a homicide.
Brandon Lockett has been charged with felony child neglect,
improper disposal of a human body and obstruction of justice.
Morgan Lockett has not been charged.
Aveion's case came to Social Services in May 2008, when the boy was
14 months old. The department got a report that Morgan Lockett was
neglecting Aveion, and that he was severely underweight.
A search warrant filed this week in Roanoke City Circuit Court said
Aveion weighed less than 9 pounds at that time.
Aveion was born with a medical problem that required surgery to
remove part of his intestines, according to the warrant. As a result,
he had a strict feeding schedule and needed medication.
Two days after Social Services was notified, Aveion was taken into
protective custody so he could get the medical treatment he needed, the
news release said.
Aveion remained in foster care until March. During that time, Social
Services developed a plan for Aveion's mother and stepfather that was
approved, and periodically reviewed, by the Roanoke Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court.
The plan included having Brandon Lockett attend an 18-week program
on domestic violence alternatives, which he completed, the news release
said.
He and Morgan Lockett also completed a parenting education class.
While in foster care, Aveion doubled in weight, according to the search warrant.
During that time, Lewis said he visited his son and tried to get custody of him.
"I was always worried about him," Lewis said.
In December 2008, Social Services allowed the Locketts to have
extended visitations with Aveion at their home.
A clinical in-home therapist spent 20 to 30 hours per month
observing the Locketts parenting, reinforcing and teaching good
parenting practices, and watching Aveion's adjustment, the news release
said.
In March, Aveion was returned home, but Social Services retained
legal custody. The in-home therapy continued, and Aveion's social
worker made scheduled and unscheduled visits to see that Aveion's
medical needs were met.
In September, a judge awarded Morgan Lockett legal custody of Aveion
on the recommendation of Social Services, the news release said.
Jane Conlin, director of Social Services in Roanoke, said Friday
that the responsibility for what happened to Aveion does not rest with
her department.
"The person who is responsible for this is not the social worker,"
she said. "I think we need to keep in mind that social workers aren't
mind readers. We work with the best knowledge and information we have
and within the law. Nobody can, with 100 percent accuracy, predict the
behavior of another person."
Lewis, however, said he never trusted Brandon Lockett.
"The way Brandon was, it just seemed like he wanted to get to me," Lewis said.
The two would have confrontations during court hearings, and Lewis
said that his children's mother's attitude toward him changed after she
began dating Lockett.
That's when Lewis said he lost contact with his children.
He recalled several times that he tried to see them, such as on
Aveion's first birthday, when he said Morgan Lockett wouldn't answer
the door.
Lewis' mother, Briggitte Mason, also said she had to go to court to
get visitation rights and, even then, found herself knocking on a door
that wouldn't open.
"How many times can you get your heart broke?" Mason said.
Now Lewis, who works at Walmart and at the Roanoke Civic Center,
wants custody of his daughter, who is about to turn 4.
She is currently staying with Morgan Lockett's mother, who is also
looking after Brandon Lockett's two children, said Cara Ward, Morgan
Lockett's sister.
Ward has been busy collecting donated items for the children because
no one wants to go back to the Southeast Roanoke home where Aveion was
last seen.
The Kirk Family YMCA, Total Action Against Poverty, Babies and
Children Inc. and other businesses have donated toys, clothing and
other items, Ward said.
She said her family has been touched by the community's support,
and she praised Roanoke police for their dedication.
The support, and the family's faith, are keeping them going.
"We believe Aveion is in heaven," she said.

Police haven't found the body of Aveion Lewis, but that isn't stopping his family from remembering the toddler.
Aveion's family is holding a memorial service to remember the two-year-old.
The service will be at the St. Matthew Word of Life Fellowship Church on Abbott Street in Roanoke at 5 p.m. Sunday night.
His aunt says the family has been having a hardtime with the child's death, but believe he's with God now.
Aveion went missing nearly two weeks ago after his step-father told police someone kidnapped the child.
Since that time his step-father has been arrested and charged in connection with his death.

Authorities are searching the Smith Gap landfill for the body of a missing Roanoke toddler.

The Roanoke Police Department says the landfill search resumed Tuesday
after it was suspended for two days because of bad weather. A search of
the Roanoke River will resume when the water level drops.

Tuesday would have been Aveion Mark Lewis' third birthday.

The boy's stepfather, 24-year-old Brandon Lockett, has been charged
with felony child neglect, improper disposal of a human body and
obstruction of justice.

Lockett told authorities that three men abducted the boy from the
family's home on Jan. 14. Police say there was no abduction and they
believe the child was dead before authorities received a 911 call.

Poster's Note: Up until today LE said this was a death investigation. Now, they are using the word: Homicide.
I am not sure what has changed but I am now moving this topic to Murdered Children.

Tuesday should have been Aveion Lewis' third birthday.
Instead of cake and candles, however, the day was marked by
mud and trash as the search continued for his body.
Nearly two weeks after his mother and stepfather reported him
missing, more than 20 people spent the day raking through trash at the
Smith Gap Regional Landfill in Western Roanoke County.
Roanoke police Capt. Greg Staples said searchers had worked "a
little bit over halfway" through four trainloads of trash from the
city, opening garbage bags and scrutinizing the muddy debris for any
sign of the boy.
Brandon Lockett, Aveion's stepfather, and Morgan Lockett, his
mother, reported to police Jan. 14 that Aveion was abducted. Police
said Brandon Lockett later told them that the toddler had died.
Brandon Lockett was charged with felony child neglect, improper
disposal of a human body and obstruction of justice. Police haven't
said how Aveion might have died, but a search warrant said they are
investigating the toddler's death as a homicide.
Staples said that early in the investigation, officials asked the
Roanoke Valley Resource Authority to identify and separate trash that
may have come from near Jamestown Place in Southeast Roanoke, where
Aveion was first reported missing.
After days of searching around Jamestown Place and the nearby
Roanoke River, investigators returned to the trash. They started
searching through it on Saturday but had to stop for two days because
of the rain, Staples said.
"The rain has really hampered our efforts," Staples said. "It's made the
search area at the top of the mountain muddy. The mud clings to the
trash, makes the trash heavy and hard to sift through with garden
rakes."
The search progressed slowly on Tuesday. Bulldozers dumped buckets
full of muddy, compacted trash on a saddle of flat land. About 21
police officers, detectives, recruits and officials from the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children then stood shoulder to
shoulder and raked through the trash, looking for any evidence of
Aveion's body.
Staples said that searchers had found scraps of paper here and there
indicating that at least some of the trash came from near Jamestown
Place, but that other pieces came from around the city.
He said he'd never in his 20 years as an officer searched through the landfill on a case before.
Staples said the investigators will keep working until they find
Aveion's body or have worked their way through all the trash. The
latter may take another two days or so.
Investigators have also searched large trash bins and other
receptacles. Police say they'll continue to search along King Charles
Avenue, including the Roanoke River, once the water level recedes.
Anyone with information about Aveion is asked to call the Roanoke Police Department at 853-2212.

After days of searching through
trash in a Roanoke, Va., landfill, police have found what could be the
body a 2-year-old boy first thought to be abducted, now presumed dead.The
boy’s stepfather, 24-year-old Brandon Real Lockett, formerly of Macon,
is charged with child neglect, improper disposal of a human body and
obstruction of justice in the case. He has not been charged with
murder, according to a Roanoke police news release.
Police officers discovered the body of a small child Wednesday.The
child’s body has been taken to a medical examiner’s office in the
Roanoke area to determine the identity and cause of death, according to
the police.Lockett initially told police that three men knocked
him unconscious, ransacked his house and restrained a 4-year-old girl
before taking his stepson Jan. 14. He said the men also left a ransom
note demanding $10,000, according to a report in The Roanoke Times.
Lockett told police last week that the toddler, Aveion Malik Lewis,
was dead before he was reported missing.

Oh God. No words...

so very sad

Police Chief Joe Gaskins said that
searchers found the body of a small boy in the Smith Gap Regional
Landfill in Western Roanoke County Wednesday.

Police looking for
missing Roanoke toddler Aveion Lewis had isolated trash originating
from the 2100 block of King Charles Avenue in Roanoke, where the
2-year-old lived with his mother and stepfather, Morgan and Brandon
Lockett. Teams of searchers found the body in the isolated trash.

The
medical examiner's office in Roanoke will identify the body and
determine a cause of death. Police did not release details about the
age or race of the child found. They also would not say how they
believe the child died.

Brandon Lockett was charged last week with improper disposal of a human body, felony child neglect and obstruction of justice.

Roanoke
Commonwealth's Attorney Don Caldwell said the grand jury, which will
meet Monday, had been scheduled to consider a murder charge against
Brandon Lockett. Now that police have discovered a child's body, that
may change, Caldwell said.

UPDATED: A toddler's body found; Family of Aveion Lewis speaks out

Body of small child found at Smith Gap landfill in Roanoke County (01/27) 2:09

Last week, police charged Brandon Lockett with felony child
neglect, improper disposal of a human body and obstruction of justice.

Roanoke Police Chief Joe Gaskins says Lockett gave numerous stories to the police, many of which have turned out to be false.

"He didn't deserve, no kid deserve that. I couldn't even fathom
another human being doing that to a child," says Aveion's uncle, Chris
Ward.

UPDATED Thursday 5:06 p.m.
Roanoke police are still waiting on a positive ID on the body of a toddler found in a Roanoke County landfill.
They believe it's the body of Aveion Lewis. The two-year-old was reported missing on January 14.
His stepfather, Brandon Lockett, has been charged in connection with
his death after he told investigators the baby was kidnapped.
Commonwealth's Attorney Don Caldwell tells News7 his office had
planned on pursuing murder charges at the next grand jury on Monday.
But because of the recent discovery of the body, he will now withdraw
that charge and wait on the medical examiner's report.
Lockett isn't due back in court until March.

Police are awaiting positive identification of a child's body found Wednesday.
Even though they don't have
his body, the family of toddler Aveion Lewis has scheduled a vigil in
his honor for Sunday at St. Matthew Word of Life Fellowship Church in
Northwest Roanoke.
The Roanoke Police Department had not received confirmation Thursday
night that the child's body found at the Smith Gap Regional Landfill on
Wednesday was that of Lewis, who was reporting missing from his
Southeast home on Jan. 14, a spokeswoman said.
"His spiritual body is in heaven, but we'd like to have closure to
be sure of the facts of what happened to his physical body," said his
aunt, Cara Ward.
The child's stepfather, Brandon Lockett, was charged last week with
improper disposal of a human body, felony child neglect and obstruction
of justice after he told police that Aveion had died. He may be
presented with additional charges, Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney
Donald Caldwell has said.
Aveion's mother, Morgan Lockett, has not been charged.
The memorial service is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the church, which is at 1422 Abbott St. N.W., Roanoke.