by Shawn Nowlin
The most recent episode of Sins of the City, a docuseries that exposes the dark underbelly of American cities and mysterious crimes that forever change a community, is currently trending across social media.
The Oct. 16 episode that aired nationally on TV One delves into the heartbreaking story of Nickalas Lee, a promising Roanoke teen, who met an untimely and brutal end just weeks after graduating from Patrick Henry High School.
The broadcast features first-hand accounts from those who knew Nickalas best, nonspeaking actors and real interviews with law enforcement personnel who helped solve the crime.
In the early morning hours of June 15, 2017, 911 dispatchers received reports of gunfire outside of a Roanoke apartment complex. No gunman was found when police officers arrived at the scene, but they did come across a young man fighting for his life. He was immediately rushed to the ER, but surgeons were unable to save him.
With no phone or identification, Det. Chris Dillon made the decision to release his picture to area School Resource Officers to gather as much information as possible. Within 30 minutes, the individual was identified as Nickalas Lee, 17.
“When I got there, I realized what we had was a very wide crime scene. Where the body was found, bullets were found and shells were found were all at different areas. The size was probably 100 yards by 50 yards,” Det. Chris Dillon said. “One neighbor in particular said the initial volley of shots actually went through their window and into a wall above a bed where they were sleeping.”
An exhaustive investigation, which included getting warrants for cell phone records, among many other things, uncovered the following: Nickalas was indeed recruited and groomed into being a member of the Rollin’ 30s Crips; and after refusing to commit an ambush homicide, members of the same gang turned on Nickalas, shooting him in the back as he begged for his life.
In Nov. 2021, Demonta Mack pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. Trayvone Kasey, Chauncey Levesy and Sean Guerrant have all been sentenced to upwards of four decades in federal prison too.
“The irony is not lost on me that Nickalas joined this gang because he was trying to figure out who he was. And I think who he was came to light at that moment. He was not a murderer,” Det. Ryan Brady said.
Born to a Texas mother addicted to drugs, at just 29 weeks, Nickalas was alcohol fetal and had traces of cocaine in his system. Weeks after going into foster care, he was eventually placed with the Lee family. At three, they officially adopted him.
“He got happier and happier. He grew, gained weight, his little face filled out and before long, he was calling us ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy.’ He was ours. I don’t know what it was, but it was just something magical about him,” Kathy Lee said.
Darrell and Kathy moved their family to Roanoke in 2015 to be closer to their daughter, Brandy. Kathy chose to enroll her son at Patrick Henry because “it was so nice looking from the outside and had a great reputation.”
Being Black raised by an all-white family made Nichalas the butt of many jokes. “Regardless, I considered him as my brother. Every time that I needed something, he would be there. If I needed someone to talk to, he would be there,” Cally Rose said.
Nina Harrison remembers sitting next to him in class and seeing how certain comments impacted him. “While not extremely close, we got along very well. He was so much more than what appeared on the surface. To view him solely by the company he sometimes kept would be a mistake. At the end of the day, he just wanted to be accepted,” she said.
Produced in a way by Jupiter Entertainment to keep viewers on the edge of their seats, the compelling narrative style and atmospheric direction unleashes a gauntlet of emotions from start to finish.
Fletcher Nichols, a former Patrick Henry educator, said, “I was watching TV and a segment showed Nickalas’ name. I didn’t have any words. I couldn’t cry because there was nothing that I could do now. He was gone.”
June 22, 2023, would have been Nickalas’ 24th birthday.
“Sins of the City: Roanoke” can also be viewed at jupiterent.com.
