Fresno landlord accused of killing tenant heading to trial

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The 80-year-old accused of a deadly dispute over unpaid rent in east central Fresno in May was back in court Tuesday.

Ira Gordon Lewis appeared in a Fresno County courtroom, wearing a red jumpsuit and in a wheelchair.

56-year-old Michael Brady lived in a home on the same property as Lewis for the last five years.

On May 13, 2023, detectives said, Lewis killed Brady because he was past due on rent.

Brady's spouse also lived in the rental home for the last two years.

She was a witness during the preliminary hearing.

Judge Vogt did not allow Action News to identify her or show her face, but she explained how Lewis and Brady had a friendly relationship, right up to the murder.

Brady would help out around the property.

"When it was raining, I guess the basement in Ira's was flooded, so he would call and have Mike come pump out the basement Mike went and got gas for him," she said.

She was at home the morning of the shooting - eating breakfast with her 10 and 13-year-old granddaughters when she heard the gunshots.

"That's when we heard the two shots, boom boom ..and me my granddaughters looked at each other like what was that," she questioned.

That's when she got up and saw her spouse Mike walking "calmly" toward the house. "By the time I opened the inside door, I heard another boom and then Mike just fell face forward," she said.

During Tuesday's hearing - the suspect seemed affected by the testimony -- he took off his glasses and held his face - then wiped it.

The defense attorney then questioned whether the victim had a weapon to start off with, but the witness denied ever seeing anything.

She said, "There was nothing in his hands. They asked me if there was anything laying by him I guess, around him. I said no.

They said was anything in his hands, I said no. They told me - I have to ask you - did you take anything off of him, and I said no."

Tuesday, the judge ultimately ruled there was enough evidence for Lewis to go on trial for murder.

If convicted, he could face 50 years to life behind bars.

Lewis will be back in court on June 30th.

For news updates, follow Brittany Jacob on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.