Background: Main Event Memphis entertainment center on Appling Farms Parkway in Memphis, Tennessee (Google Maps). Inset: Richard Lewis (Shelby County Sheriff's Office).
A man will spend decades behind bars after he killed his co-worker at a Tennessee entertainment venue and then reasoned afterward that he "had to do it."
Richard Lewis, 46, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to Shelby County court records reviewed by Law&Crime. His sentencing came after he pleaded guilty on Monday to second-degree murder in the death of 65-year-old James Earl Redmon.
On July 22, 2024, Lewis and Redmon were working as security guards at Main Event Memphis on Appling Farms Parkway in Memphis, Tennessee. The entertainment center says on its website that it has "[b]owling, 100+ arcade games, laser tag, billiards, 30+ fresh new eats on the menu, and more. All under one roof."
When Redmon came in to work, Lewis got upset, according to a new employee cited in court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate WMC. The defendant allegedly told the new worker: "If he walks up on me, I'm going to blow his a— off."
Lewis and Redmon apparently had known each other for several years.
Sometime later, Lewis and Redmon reportedly got into an argument over the use of metal detectors for visitors entering the entertainment hub, though it is unclear what position they were taking on the topic. According to the witness, about 10 minutes later, Lewis warned Redmon not to come near him.
The defendant then shot the victim twice in the head, authorities said. He told his manager he "had to do it."
The Memphis Police Department responded to the entertainment center at about 7 p.m. and found Redmon dead, according to the affidavit. Officers then arrested Lewis.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said Lewis' guilty plea "holds [him] accountable for taking" the life of Redmon, who "went to work that evening" and "should have made it home."
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