Murder trial for woman set on fire by boyfriend in 2016 ends in mistrial

Delores Williams

The murder trial for a man accused of setting his girlfriend on fire in her Woodlawn-area house in 2016 ended in a mistrial last Thursday.

Lewis Reeder, 57, had faced a first-degree murder change for allegedly setting Delores Williams on fire early in the morning on Nov. 18, 2016 inside of her home on Keeler Court. Williams, 64, suffered severe burns and died from her injuries Nov. 30 at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

The mistrial was a result of a hung jury, according to a source with knowledge of the case. A hearing on the case is set for June 1 at 9 a.m.

Messages left with Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney George Freeman and Bryan Kennedy, Reeder’s public defender, were not immediately returned.  

The trial began on April 30, and testimony on the first day included a cousin of Williams who was in the house at the time of the incident, as well as the first police officer to respond to the scene. A 911 call made by Williams as the incident was in progress was also played for the jury, according to a witness who attended.

Reeder, who allegedly fled the scene after setting Williams on fire, was caught in Richmond on Dec. 1, 2016. He has been held without bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center since then.