A Hot Springs man charged with three counts of capital murder in connection with the shooting deaths of two local women and a local man in December pleaded not guilty to all charges Tuesday in Garland County Circuit Court.
Nicholas Matthew Lewondowski, 34, who has remained in custody on zero bond since his arrest Dec. 6, 2017, appeared before Judge Marcia Hearnsberger to enter his pleas to the three counts for the deaths of Paul D. Power, 40, Dory Ann Power, 46, and Brenda Sue Lawson, 60, all of Hot Springs, whose bodies were found Dec. 5, 2017, inside a residence at 208 Nevada St.
If convicted, Lewondowski faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole on each count.
A gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case, previously issued by Hearnsberger on Feb. 19, was served at the hearing. An affidavit of indigency was granted formally appointing the public defender's office to represent Lewondowski, and a hearing to determine the admissibility of any statements he made to Hot Springs police is now set for May 8.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Dec. 5, shortly after 5 p.m., police responded to the 3300 block of Central Avenue to meet with a witness, 52, who possibly had information about a multiple homicide.
The witness said that one of his friends, identified as Lewondowski, had visited him the night before at his residence. Lewondowski had three friends with him, known to the witness only by their first names: Dori, Brenda and Paul. While there, Lewondowski and the three friends got into an argument about one of them stealing property from someone else in the group.
The witness said Lewondowski got "agitated" with all three of his friends and they got into a vehicle and went to what the witness believed was Lawson's residence on Nevada Street. Lewondowski returned to the witness' residence on Dec. 5 and allegedly told him he had killed the three people who had been with him the night before.
Lewondowski allegedly told the witness he needed his help and the witness went with him to 208 Nevada where Lewondowski nailed the doors shut. Then the witness helped Lewondowski move some vehicles, belonging to the three victims, to different locations.
The only location the witness was able to describe was a parking lot at 103 Cherry St. where Lewondowski had moved a black 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix, later determined to belong to Dory Power.
The witness said Lewondowski told him he "would probably need help disposing of the bodies later" and would contact the witness "in the next day or so." He allegedly stated "they would probably just burn the residence down."
Based on the witness' statement, officers responded to 208 Nevada and upon walking into the residence discovered the rear door was standing open. The three deceased victims were found inside "laying in pools of blood." According to two search warrants filed in connection with the case, all three bodies had "multiple gunshot wounds."
Lewondowski has a lengthy criminal history dating back 15 years with more than 14 prior felony convictions, including a conviction for second-degree battery in 2003. He was charged with first-degree battery on Aug. 27, 2016, involving an attack on a fellow inmate at the jail, but the charge was later withdrawn for further investigation.
Local on 03/08/2018