JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A man was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for stabbing a gay man to death on Jacksonville's Northside in July 2018.
Omar Lewis, 32, was given a life sentence after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder, as other charges were dropped as part of the plea deal.
Only July 19, 2018, 30-year-old Jessie Sumlar was found fatally stabbed in the doorway of his apartment. Police said he was found with a gun and both his car and wallet were missing.
Later, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office released surveillance footage of a person of interest, which turned out to be of Lewis.
Detectives found a DNA match to Lewis from evidence processed at the crime scene; his fingerprint was found in blood. He was then arrested and charged with Sumlar's murder on Aug. 2.
The police report states that Lewis denied knowing Sumlar.
A few days after Sumlar's death, his car was found burned near King Street and McCoys Creek. His murder marked as the fourth one of a black LGBTQ person in Jacksonville in 2018. On the same day he was found, a transgender woman was found dead in Orlando with trauma to her body. Her name was Sasha Garden.
Coworkers from the salon where Sumlar worked previously told First Coast News the following:
"He was an amazing person. He was sweet and funny and we're all very shocked by his death. He was well-liked by everyone. We were like a family here, and his clients have come in to grieve with us today. We are asking for privacy as we grieve at this time."
