by KYW's Tony Hanson
One day after accused Philadelphia cop killer John Lewis admitted in court that he committed all the crimes he is charged with (see previous story), the next phase of his trial was underway.
Prosecutors hope to prove that Lewis' crime was first-degree murder and deserves the death penalty. The defense is hoping for a finding of second-degree murder and life in prison.
On Friday morning the prosecution was laying out what they called "the evolution of a criminal" -- from robber to cold-blooded murderer.
There was a series of armed robberies to which Lewis (in file photo above) pleaded guilty on Thursday. Early on, say prosecutors, Lewis menaced his victims, waving a gun at them before taking money and fleeing.
But according to witness accounts heard in court on Friday, Lewis grew more agitated and more violent. During one pizza shop robbery, he put the gun to the head of a customer who pleaded with Lewis not to point the gun at him because he was with his nine-year-old son.
Five days later, Lewis struck again -- this time pulling a woman by the hair and pistol-whipping another victim before firing his gun into the floor and fleeing.
And on October 31st, 2007, Lewis was robbing a doughnut store when Officer Chuck Cassidy happened to walk in. Lewis turned and fired, then fled -- but not before grabbing the dying officer's gun.
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