Lewis Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2018 Murder of Jessie Sumlar

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that the Honorable Anthony Salem sentenced Omar Lewis to life in Florida State Prison for Second-Degree Murder. Lewis previously pleaded guilty to the charge on Oct. 17, 2024.

On July 19, 2018, 30-year-old Jessie Sumlar was found stabbed to death in his Northside apartment after his mother called the apartment complex to have someone check on her son. Investigators found blood splattered around the apartment. Sumlar’s car, wallet, and several pairs of shoes were stolen from the scene. Detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office tracked activity on Sumlar’s credit card and found it had been fraudulently used several times between July 16-17, 2024. Surveillance cameras captured Lewis using Sumlar’s credit card at several Downtown Jacksonville ATMs. An anonymous tip helped the police identify Lewis. On July 20, officers recovered Sumlar’s stolen car; it had been set on fire and left in front of a Northside business about 0.5 miles from where Lewis used to live. Multiple swabs were taken from the scene of the homicide and tested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement laboratory; Lewis’ DNA came back as a match on a cigar butt found inside Sumlar’s apartment. A bloody fingerprint found on the blinds matched Lewis’ fingerprints and a bloody shoe print matched Lewis’ shoes which were recovered from his girlfriend’s apartment. Autopsy results revealed Lewis stabbed Sumlar 18 times and slashed his throat.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Thomas Mangan.