The leader of a local Young Republicans chapter in Alabama was arrested last week in connection with the death of another man, with charges against him including a count of "sexual torture."
On Thursday, deputies with the Madison County Sheriff's Office discovered a dead body later identified as 54-year-old Derek Franklin Walls of Harvest, Alabama, after being called to a home on the 1700 block of Capshaw Road. Later that same day, it was announced that deputies had arrested 36-year-old Kyle Hayden Lewter in connection with Walls' death.
Lewter is a well-known member of the community, having served as chairman since 2022 for the Madison County chapter of the Young Republicans National Federation (YRNF), a political organization dedicated to registered GOP members between the ages of 18 and 40. According to a personal listing uncovered by a local CBS News affiliate, he was also an administrator of clinical research at the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
The same affiliate also noted that Walls was the son of Clarence Walls, a former Alabama Republican Party staffer who passed away in 2021.
According to authorities, Walls died after a "physical altercation" that did not involve a firearm. They also confirmed that he and Lewter were known to each other prior to their alleged encounter. His exact cause of death is pending an autopsy.
In response to an inquiry about the case from Newsweek, the Madison County Sheriff's Office highlighted a post on its official Facebook page.
"As we reported the victim and offender knew each other and got into a physical altercation that resulted in the victim being injured," the sheriff's office wrote in an official post, clarifying incorrect reports that Walls had been shot in the head. "It appears he died as a result of those injuries. Detectives are awaiting autopsy results, but again we have confirmed that the victim was not shot."
Lewter has since been booked at the Madison County Jail, with the sheriff's office ordering him "to be held without the possibility of posting a bond." Among the charges leveled against him in connection with Walls' death, he faces one count of "sexual torture," with the specific charge alleging "sexual abuse using inanimate object." It is unclear based on currently available information what Lewter allegedly did that resulted in this charge.
Walls' family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses. As of Tuesday, it had raised $2,725 of its $5,000 goal, but had been disabled by the organizer.
Update 03/12/2024, 3:28 p.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect a response from the Madison County Sheriff's Office and to include an up-to-date status of the GoFundMe page.
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