The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected Tuesday to renew a $10,000 reward for information leading to the killer or killers of a Long Beach police officer who was shot in 1975 while intervening in an assault taking place near his home.
The money is part of an overall $75,000 reward being offered for information in the death of Officer Franke Neal Lewis, who was killed about 3 a.m. Dec. 13, 1975 in the 6200 block of Cantel Street.
Police said Lewis had just arrived home from his shift and witnessed a man, later identified as Denis Gitschier, being attacked by an unidentified assailant.
Lewis, who had been with the Long Beach Police Department for about two years, was shot in the face and died at the scene. The father of two died in his wife’s arms.
Gitschier, who said he was driving home and pulled off the freeway to sleep, was hospitalized for several days after the beating.
The assailant escaped with the officer’s gun, badge and police identification. The badge and ID were recovered on March 12, 1976, from a vacant residence at 915 S. Acacia Ave. in Compton, but the gun has not been found.
Police described two potential suspect vehicles: a mid-1970s Cadillac Fleetwood with a blue body and a black top; and an early 1960s white Cadillac Fleetwood.
Officers renewed their investigation late last year and canvassed the area where the badge and ID were recovered. They later released a composite sketch of one of two “persons of interest” wanted for questioning in the case. The sketch was developed using tips investigators received after canvassing the neighborhood and reaching out for public help.
The tips included information about a young man “who spoke of killing a police officer in 1975 or 1976, but (who) didn’t detail the time or place were it occurred,” according to police.
The LBPD released of a composite sketch of what the young man looked like in 1975, when he was about 17. He went by the name “Bobby” and was described as black, with a medium build and black hair. He lived in the central Long Beach area and may have driven a 1970s Cadillac Fleetwood or Pontiac Bonneville that was blue with a black top.
Police also described a second “person of interest” as a black woman between 18 and 20 years old who was known by the nickname “Spider.”
The Board of Supervisors approved a $10,000 reward in October, but it is scheduled to expire on Sunday, prompting the need for an extension. The Long Beach Police Officers Association and the Fraternal Order of Police increased the reward amount to $50,000. The city of Long Beach added another $25,000 to the reward.
Anyone who recognizes “Bobby” or who knows the identity of “Spider” was urged to call homicide detectives at (562) 570-7244, or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS; or text TIPLA plus the tip information to 274637 (CRIMES); or visit LACrimeStoppers.org.
–City News Service