Tuesday, March 21, 2017 | 4:12 p.m.
Raymond Lewis IV
A man accused of strangling his girlfriend and then setting her body on fire told detectives he wanted to turn the corpse to ash to destroy any physical evidence, according to a Metro Police arrest report.
A passerby discovered the partially burned body about 11 a.m. March 11 at an apartment complex in the 700 block of Rock Springs Drive, near Rainbow Boulevard and Washington Avenue.
After police released a sketch to help identify the victim, the suspect, Raymond Lewis IV, 21, contacted police on March 14 and said the drawing resembled his girlfriend, Geranique Bentley, 20, whom he said had been missing for several days, according to the report.
Lewis told detectives he and Bentley were transients and had dated on and off since late 2015, police said.
After detectives pressed him during an interview on Thursday, Lewis told them he strangled Bentley at an abandoned apartment in the area after they got into an argument and she called him lazy, police said. Lewis said he tried to revive Bentley but didn’t seek medical attention, according to the report.
That’s when he wrapped the body in a blanket and took it to a secluded corner of the apartment complex, police said.
He poured lighter fluid on the body, set it on fire and left, police said. When he returned to check on the fire, he noticed it had quickly gone out, so he stood over the body for about 15 minutes, pouring more lighter fluid on it and trying to burn it, according to the report.
Lewis was arrested on counts of murder, domestic battery, third-degree arson, and destroying and concealing evidence, according to court records. He is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center awaiting court appearance on Wednesday.
