Overview of The Deck — Norris Evans (Jack of Spades, New York)
This episode of The Deck (Audiochuck), hosted by Ashley Flowers, revisits the brutal, unsolved 1975 murder of 27-year-old Norris “Snooki” Evans in Rochester, New York. Found nearly decapitated in her duplex home with four young children in the building, Norris’s death generated suspicion from the start that the crime was staged and that those closest to her—particularly her husband, Lewis (sometimes reported as Louis; he later used the name Andrew), his half-brother Leroy, cousin Jesse, and Lewis’s girlfriend-turned-wife Gail—may know more than they’ve admitted. Detective Seth Carr reopens parts of the file decades later, but despite fingerprints, witness interviews, insurance irregularities, and family confessions/recantations, the case remains unsolved.
Key facts & timeline
- Date/time: Night of Friday, May 23 → early morning Saturday, May 24, 1975.
- First anonymous call to Rochester dispatch: 11:24 p.m., reporting “family trouble” at 5 Crone Street; an officer checked the duplex around 11:40 p.m. and found nothing alarming.
- Second call (Tom, neighbor): ~12:33 a.m.; Lewis Evans (husband) asked Tom to call after discovering his wife.
- Crime scene when police arrived: Norris found face down in living room in pool of blood; nearly decapitated (deep throat slash), multiple stab wounds (abdomen, chest, back), ankles tied (rag/steel wire), scattered rags, long-toothed comb by head, 8-inch kitchen knife near feet, underwear nearby.
- Children: Four in the home (two older sons from Lewis’s prior marriage, Norris’s toddler Daryl ~2.5 yrs, and infant Tamara). Conflicting reports say kids were upstairs or downstairs; they were not physically harmed.
- Time of death (medical examiner, 1975): estimated between ~11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. Detective Carr later questions the precision of this estimate.
Major suspects, alibis & suspicious findings
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Lewis (husband)
- Found the body; became combative with police and was briefly handcuffed.
- Time card from employer (Rochester Products) shows he worked 3:45 p.m.–12:08 a.m.; coworkers recalled seeing him at the plant (some at ~11:30 p.m.).
- Relationship: controlling, Norris reportedly wanted to leave. He had a 19-year-old girlfriend (Gail) since Nov 1974.
- Behavioral red flags: inconsistent responses to investigators; decades later gave the same reply to questions: “I have nothing to add and nothing to take away.” At one point at the station he shouted, “I killed my wife, I shot her,” though she had not been shot.
- Later changed/used middle name Andrew; repeatedly evasive in interviews.
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Gail (girlfriend, later wife)
- Initially lied to police by claiming Lewis visited her at the exact time he says he found Norris; later admitted to forging Norris’s signature on at least one document.
- A handwriting expert tied the forged signature on an insurance/medical document to Gail. She later admitted (with caveats) she may have signed Norris’s name to access health insurance in March 1975.
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Leroy Barnes (half-brother) & Jesse Martin (cousin)
- Frequent visitors; called the “three amigos” with Lewis.
- Both had vague or shifting alibis for the critical window. Leroy later allegedly told a relative that Lewis made him and Jesse kill Norris, then recanted; Leroy died years before investigators could fully revisit him.
- Jesse’s statements over time were inconsistent and unhelpful.
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Napoleon (“Mississippi”)
- Stopped by Friday evening for Norris to cosign a loan (per his account). Had fresh bruises/scratches but provided corroborated alibi and passed a polygraph.
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Other persons of interest considered and ruled out or inconclusive:
- Tom (neighbor who called police): cooperated, passed polygraph.
- George Johnson (teen on the porch): had criminal history; prints did not match.
- Calvin Burtz (suspected serial burglar): prints didn’t match; no tie to scene.
Evidence, forensic work & investigative gaps
- Crime-scene evidence: 14 fingerprints lifted (back door jamb among them); knife, comb, bloodied rags, wires.
- Fingerprints were compared to records; several prints remain unidentified (some could be from prior lawful residents/visitors since this is a duplex).
- DNA: evidence preservation/storage was inadequate for modern DNA testing in a way that would readily produce results; investigators say the case likely won’t be solved by lab work alone.
- Scene indicators suggesting staging:
- Binding around ankles appears loose—possible post-mortem placement.
- No documented defensive wounds; no confirmed sexual assault despite appearances at the scene.
- $1,100 reportedly missing from a metal lockbox, but family doubts whether the money ever existed—could indicate staged burglary.
- Insurance irregularities:
- Norris had a life insurance policy (about $17,000), beneficiary changed to Lewis in 1973; her mother alleged the change was forged.
- Lewis took out a separate policy eight days before the murder that paid him $12,000 and benefited his household—raised investigator suspicion.
Reinvestigation, family efforts & current status
- Renewed interest: In 2020 Tamara (Norris’s daughter) contacted investigators; Detective Seth Carr reexamined the case, interviewed surviving suspects/witnesses in 2020–2022.
- Carr’s conclusions / working theories:
- He’s not locked to a single suspect but leans toward a family/circle secret and believes the scene was staged to look like a robbery.
- He doubts the 11:30–12:30 time-of-death window and suggests the murder may have occurred earlier when alibis were weaker.
- Carr emphasizes the need for firsthand knowledge or a confession; he believes people with direct knowledge are still alive and could tip the case.
- Family impact: Children grew up without answers; Daryl and Tamara no longer speak to Lewis and actively seek justice. Online community and an author helped them obtain the old police report and rekindle the investigation.
Main takeaways & unresolved questions
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Main takeaways:
- Norris Evans’s murder appears targeted and possibly staged to resemble a robbery; key leads point toward people in her immediate household/circle.
- Insurance and beneficiary changes, recent life insurance on Lewis, forged signatures (admitted by Gail), and the distribution of money after the murder are major motives/irregularities.
- Forensic evidence (prints) exists but hasn’t produced a conclusive match; DNA likely limited by preservation issues.
- The case relies on witness cooperation/confession rather than lab breakthroughs.
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Unresolved questions:
- Who placed the anonymous 11:24 p.m. call, and was that call linked to the timing of death?
- When exactly did the murder occur?
- Who staged the crime scene (if staged), and who tied the bindings?
- Was life insurance the primary motive, and who benefited financially?
- Are any unidentified fingerprints still traceable with modern databases?
How to help / contact information
If you have information about the death of Norris Evans, contact:
- Rochester Police Department Major Crimes Unit: 585-428-7157
- Email: majorcrimes@cityofrochester.gov
- To remain anonymous: Crime Stoppers (Rochester) or submit a tip online.
Notable quotes from the episode
- Detective Seth Carr: The case “is one of the most interesting cases I’ve investigated because of the theories surrounding it and because of the family dynamics.”
- Lewis (when interviewed decades later): “I have nothing to add. I have nothing to take away.”
- Family perspective: “Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead” — used to describe why family complicity is suspected.
If you want to learn more or listen to the full episode, The Deck (Audiochuck) produced this installment, and it includes additional interviews and case details not fully captured here.