NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - It's been one month since Newport News mother Shanitia Eure-Lewis was reported missing.
Shortly after her disappearance, her husband, Adrien Lewis, was charged with her murder.We now have the latest on the community's search efforts.
Search teams with Water Team Inc., were out Wednesday morning combing the area around Carver Elementary School looking for any clues as to where Shanitia's body may be.
Joe Slabinski with Water Team Inc., says Wednesday morning, near the elementary school, which is close to Eure-Lewis' residence, they found something. They found a 9 MM gun half buried under leaves. That weapon has been turned over to Newport News Police.
“It may not pertain to Ms. Lewis it may pertain to Ms. Lewis but if nothing else it pertains to something because nobody just throws a handgun out in the middle of the woods for no reason,” Slabinski said.
Regardless if it's related to Shanitia's case, Slabinski says it's a big day for the nonprofit search team.
"You kind of get a little more amped up when you find something that you believe still been missing or at least not been found yet,” Slabinski said.
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew in his 'Chat with the Chief' Tuesday evening said the case is still open and that detectives are working two sides of the case - the investigative side and the location side. He says progress has been made but still welcomes the community's help.
"I think it's being supportive and keeping awareness. If you see something, hear something, think of something, to share that with us. Right now, I can tell you there is one individual who know,” the chief stated.
That question of where Shanitia Eure-Lewis is what keeps driving Water Team Inc., to keep searching for her, or anyone else who may be missing.
“They deserve to be found, if nothing else for their family to have closure, we may not know what happened to them or why they ended up where it did, but at least they came home,” Slabinski told News 3.
Adrian Lewis is currently behind bars, his next court appearance is September 23. If you have any information about where Shanitia is, contact the Newport News Police Department.
