Mother speaks out about murdered daughter
TRAVERSE CITY -- Family and friends are mourning the loss of Carly Jean Lewis. For 12 days they were hoping Carly would make it home safe.
7&4's Lauren Amstutz sat down with Carly Lewis's mom, Susie Ooley-Lewis, to talk about the investigation and the relationship the family had with the suspect who is accused of murdering her daughter.
Today Susie Ooley Lewis's daughter Carly would have turned 17 years old, instead of celebrating she's trying to grasp the fact that her daughter isn't coming home.
She says, "Relieved and in awe. I was saddened. It is her birthday, not the birthday we had planned for her."
Police have a suspect in custody. 17-year old Robert Jensen Schwander has been charged with Open Murder and is awaiting an arraignment. Susie says he lived with the family for a short time because he was homeless and had no other place to go.
Susie Ooley Lewis says, "I'm very angry that it went down the way it did."
When asked what Carly's relationship with Schwander was Susie said, "I could never figure it out. Sometimes she would hang out with him, other times like at Easter, she said I would not have come if she knew he was there. I would not say it was a love, hate relationship, but I don't know she didn't like him being here."
Susie says she wonders what caused Schwander to get angry enough to hurt Carly, a girl she says that had a huge heart and a big smile.
"It’s mixed emotions there was a boy I cared about and brought in my home and I feel for him I think he needed help and didn't get it."
