Colorado man given 57-year sentence for shooting 2 women after being told he was not the father of a child

A Colorado man who shot his estranged wife and her cousin hours after being informed he was not the biological father of one of their children was ordered last week to serve almost six decades in prison. 

Kelynn Lewis, 34, received a 42-year sentence in Adams County Court on Friday for second-degree murder, a 10-year sentence for second-degree attempted murder, and an additional five years for tampering with evidence -- 57 years collectively. A jury found him guilty of those counts, and others, in February. 

Lewis was arrested by police 36 hours after he broke into his estranged wife's Aurora apartment on Feb. 9, 2024 and shot both women, according to details in his arrest affidavit. Deondranay McCain, his estranged wife, and her cousin, Vatrice Little, were braiding one another's hair at the time. 

Lewis had moved out of the apartment three months earlier, according to the report. He and McCain were the parents of a young child and had recently divorced (although the marriage was determined to not be legally binding during those divorce proceedings). 

According to a press release from the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office, McCain had texted Lewis earlier that day to tell him he was not the father of McCain's youngest child. 

Later that day, Lewis forced his way into the apartment to confront McCain. Lewis, per the DA's Office and the arrest affidavit, said to McCain, "You think this was a game?" and fired once at McCain's head, McCain told investigators. McCain then stated she dropped to the floor and pretended to be dead. 

From that position, she saw Little move in front of Lewis. McCain then told investigators she heard four or five gunshots and Little fell to the floor next to her, suffering obvious wounds to her face and bleeding badly. Lewis then left the apartment and McCain called 911.

Per the affidavit, Lewis had believed the child was his and he had cared for the child since birth.  

All four of McCain's children, ages 9, 5, 4, and 3, were inside the apartment at the time of the shooting. At the end of Lewis's trial, the jury also convicted him of four counts of misdemeanor child abuse. 

Little was pronounced dead at the scene. She was also the mother of four children, ages 13-18, a family member told CBS Colorado.

"Vatrice Little died while trying to protect a family member from a vicious and violent attack," District Attorney Brian Mason stated in the press release. "Her courage in those final moments was extraordinary, and her loss is devastating. I'm grateful to the Aurora Police Department for their investigation of this case and for my team at the District Attorney's Office for their work in securing this outcome. My thoughts are with the victim's family as they continue to heal from this tragedy."