Teenage Head guitarist Gord Lewis has been found dead.
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And Jonathan Lewis has been charged with second-degree murder.
Gord is the founding guitarist of the seminal punk rock band Teenage Head. He is thought to be the murder victim of his own son, inside his Hamilton, Ontario apartment. Officials believe the murder occurred sometime last week.
Hamilton police responded to a call and went to Gord’s apartment around noon on Sunday (August 7), officials reported. Inside, police found the body of a man in his 60s with, they said, “injuries consistent with foul play.”
Jonathan, 41, is Gord’s son. He was arrested after police arrived at the scene. He’s being charged with second-degree murder, said Det. Sgt. Sara Beck of the local homicide unit on Monday.
Police say that due to the state of decomposition of Gord’s body, further testing is needed for official identification. That’s expected to happen soon, after an autopsy.
Said Brian Lewis, one of Gord’s brothers, the family has no comment at this time. He added, “We ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
Gord’s body was discovered by police during a wellness check, which came after a 911 call from a staff member at The Spectator.
According to the outlet, multiple reporters were sent a number of messages from two email accounts with the name Jonathan Lewis, beginning around 8 p.m. on Saturday and continuing into Sunday. They included complaints about needing help for medical issues, as well as references to his father being dead.
One email included the note, “Now I just want to get help for my sickness and give my Dad a proper burial. He didn’t deserve this.”
Another included, “Funeral people need to get here quick. My Dad is starting to decay.”
According to officials, the apartment in question belonged to Gord but his son had been staying there for a period of time. Officials think the murder occurred some three days before the body was discovered. Beck noted that police believe the murder is an “isolated incident.”
Mental health is thought to be a factor in the murder.
(Photo by Erica Echenberg/Redferns)
