The Arkansas farmer accused of killing and raping a nurse said during a mental health examination that after killing the victim, he tried to “mix” with her body – then went home, had dinner and ” just tried to forget about it. “
The awful confession of 28-year-old Quake Lewellyn is contained in an assessment by a state psychologist who found him mentally fit to be tried for the death of 25-year-old Sydney Sutherland, who disappeared in jogging time in August.
“Everything was just a blur,” Lewellyn told a psychologist, according to a report obtained by KARK.
The married stepfather of three people claims that, on the day of the incident, he was driving to check some wells and rice fields when he saw Sutherland walking on a gravel road.
After his account, he passed her, turned around and hit her with his truck, unable to see her in a cloud of dust. He claims he went to see if he was OK and thought he was dead at the time.
Although he had not drunk or used drugs, he claims that he was “scared and afraid that I would have problems because he came across it”. Instead of calling 911 to help him, he said he put his body in the tailgate of his truck, looking to hide it.
His narrative then takes a truly depraved turn.
Lewellyn told the psychologist that he drove into a rice field to bury Sutherland, but first undressed her and “tried to mingle a little with her” – although he said his lawyers advised him to does not explain exactly what he did.
He dug a hole and buried Sutherland, then continued his day as if he had not taken a life and abused a corpse, says the assessment.
Returning to work, he spent the next two or three hours checking the wells, going home, eating, and going to bed. “He reported that he did not tell anyone what happened and” he just tried to forget about it, “the psychologist wrote.
As word spread about Sutherland’s disappearance, Lewellyn’s father called to ask if he had seen her and said he said he saw her on the road. He went to the police station the next day to report the observation – “still hoping he won’t be caught,” the report says – and finally decided to confess.
“I knew I didn’t kill her on purpose,” he told the assessor. Asked why he didn’t just call 911, he said, “I don’t know … I was just scared.”
Authorities have accused Lewellyn – who went to the same high school as Sutherland, but claims he barely knew her – of capital murder, kidnapping, body abuse and rape.
His wife filed for divorce since his arrest.