Boyfriend takes plea deal after killing girlfriend in front of her kids in Harris County
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Finally, Ashanti Hunter's family feels like they have justice.
On Wednesday, Hunter's ex-boyfriend pleaded guilty to killing her in front of her three children last year.
Hunter's mother, Debra Wright, couldn't hold back tears as she took the stand and faced Albee Lewis.
She considered "Turkey," as she called Lewis, like her own son.
In a prepared letter, she expressed how Lewis destroyed her family and caused permanent mental and emotional damage to Hunter's children.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Man charged with killing girlfriend in front of her kids in north Harris County
When asked, Lewis admitted to shooting and killing Hunter in 2017 as her kids, one of whom is his biological daughter, watched in the car.
According to family, it was the culmination of years of domestic violence, which none of them ever saw coming.
Lewis entered a plea deal and was sentenced to 50 years behind bars.
Wright says she can't bring herself to forgive him, but is looking to God to carry her grief.
"A little bit of weight off my shoulders, because I had taken him in as my son, so I had never seen that part in him. He used to come talk to me and when he killed her, I was shocked. I couldn't understand it," Wright said.
Lewis' attorney says while in custody, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
