Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
LAKELAND, Fla. - Nearly six years after a Christmas Eve shooting claimed the life of a 70-year-old Lakeland grandmother and injured three members of her family, investigators announced multiple arrests and new murder charges.
Lakeland deadly shooting indictments
What we know:
On Friday, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said that a Polk County grand jury returned indictments against three men in connection with the Dec. 24, 2020, shooting that killed Maebelle Cooper, while detectives continue searching for a fourth suspect.
Police said Taqiy Lewis, 29, was indicted on one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder.
Lewis is already serving a 30-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to firearms charges connected to the same case. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to two consecutive 15-year federal prison terms for possessing the firearm investigators say was used in the shooting.
Chief Taylor said Keovion Durham, 23, was also indicted. He was arrested July 23, 2026, on a charge of attempted first-degree murder of Ralph Limones Jr., the husband of Cooper’s daughter. Durham is being held in the Polk County Jail.
A jury indicted John Spates, 50, who was arrested July 23, 2026, on a charge of manslaughter in Cooper's death. He is also being held in the Polk County Jail.
Murder suspect at large
What you can do:
Investigators are still searching for Carlos Morris, 43, who is wanted on a warrant for attempted first-degree murder. Police said Morris was last known to be living in the Lakeland area and is believed to have family in the community.
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
Anyone with information about Morris' whereabouts is urged to contact the Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6900 or provide anonymous tips through Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-888-400-TIPS (8477).
Gun evidence
Dig deeper:
According to investigators, the breakthrough came after detectives recovered a pistol while serving search warrants connected to the Jan. 30, 2023, Lakeland mass shooting on Iowa Avenue, in which 13 people were shot.
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Police said forensic testing determined the pistol was the same weapon used to kill Cooper during the Christmas Eve shooting.
Investigators said records showed the gun had been purchased by Lewis' girlfriend, who admitted Lewis had access to the firearm.
Taylor said surveillance video placed Lewis at the 2020 shooting scene, while additional photos and videos showed him possessing the handgun and wearing clothing matching what was seen in surveillance footage. Officers and Lewis' own family members also identified him in the video evidence, police said.
Christmas Eve shooting
The backstory:
The shooting happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 24, 2020, outside a Lakeland home where Cooper had gathered with family for Christmas Eve.
Investigators said Cooper, who was not involved in the dispute that led to the gunfire, was shot and killed.
Three other relatives were wounded:
- Shawanda Lamones, Cooper’s daughter
- Ralph Lamones Jr., Shawanda’s husband
- The couple's 13-year-old daughter
Police said multiple suspects fled the scene in several vehicles after the shooting.
Investigators have previously said the violence stemmed from an earlier confrontation involving members of the family before gunfire erupted outside the residence where Cooper had come to celebrate Christmas with her loved ones.
Murder charges
What's next:
Lewis now faces murder charges in addition to the federal prison sentence he is already serving.
Durham and Spates remain jailed as they await court proceedings, while investigators continue searching for Morris.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lakeland Police Department.