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Woman killed in Denver alley witnessed a homicide, police say

Aurora Police said they were concerned for the safety of Charly Lewis because she was the only witness to a murder that occurred on June 1.
Credit: DPD
Steven Young

DENVER — A woman who was found shot to death in a Denver alley on June 7 had witnessed a homicide several days earlier in Aurora, and the suspect in that case is accused of killing her, according to an arrest affidavit from the Denver Police Department (DPD).

Steven Young, 45, has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of 32-year-old Charly Lewis. A bicyclist found her body in the alley behind 1065 Federal Blvd. around 5 a.m. on the morning of June 7. That's near Federal Boulevard and West 10th Avenue.

According to the arrest affidavit, surveillance video and HALO footage captured Young and Lewis walking together in the area in the hours before her body was found. DPD looked over "shot spotter" data reports and found that a single gunshot was fired in the area where her body was found at 4:23 a.m.  About two minutes later, Young is seen on video leaving the alley without Lewis, the affidavit says.

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Detectives learned that Young was a suspect in a homicide that occurred on June 1 in Aurora, according to the affidavit. They were told by an Aurora homicide detective that on that night, Lewis was in a car with Young at one point and witnessed a homicide.

According to earlier information released by APD, dispatch received a report of shots fired around 12:20 p.m. on June 1 in the area of East 16th Avenue and North Akron Street. Responding officers located an adult man, later identified as 41-year-old John Cyprian, suffering from a gunshot wound. Cyprian was taken to the hospital where he later died.

Aurora Police put out an attempt-to-locate call for Lewis, saying they were concerned for her safety as the only witness to that homicide, according to DPD's arrest warrant. Young was arrested in connection with the Aurora homicide on June 8, the day after Lewis was found dead.

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In Denver, Young is also charged with possession of a weapon by a previous offender and is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 30.

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