Canadian punk rocker Gord Lewis has reportedly been found dead in his apartment in Hamilton, Ontario — the victim of an apparent homicide — and his son Jonathan, 41, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Lewis, a guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band Teenage Head, was found on Sunday in his apartment at 175 Catharine Street South. Police had been dispatched for a welfare check after several suspicious emails — reportedly from Jonathan Lewis — were received by local several news outlets.
The Hamilton Spectator reported that several emails from Lewis had been received at the station suggesting that Gord Lewis might be dead — prompting staffers to contact local authorities, who then went to the apartment and discovered the body of a man in his 60s who appeared to be the victim of foul play. According to the reports, although police are confident the body is that of Gord Lewis, decomposition was such that an autopsy was deemed necessary in order to confirm the victim’s identity.
The band appeared to confirm the news as well, sharing a post on Facebook announcing Lewis’ passing.
“We are heartbroken and still trying to process the loss of our friend, bandmate and brother Gord Lewis,” the caption read. “Our hearts are with his family and all that knew and loved him. Gord was a force and an inspiration to many. You were taken from us far too soon.”
Police offered an update on the case on Monday, with Detective Sergeant Sara Beck explaining, “On Sunday August 7, police received information, a number of emails had been sent to a variety of media outlets with information related to a deceased person.”
She went on to note that the injuries they found on the body were consistent with what they believed was foul play — and at that point, the case was ruled to be a homicide.
“At this time, a positive identification has not been made of the deceased due to the level of decomposition … an autopsy will be performed and additional steps taken to identify the deceased,” she added.
Beck noted that Jonathan Lewis had been detained and charged with second-degree murder — and that no other suspects were being sought or questioned at the time. Other members of the Lewis family confirmed that Jonathan Lewis was the guitarist’s son.