This week's New Times feature story is an-depth look at the murder of Melissa Britt Lewis, a young attorney at the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Alder firm who was killed more than a year before Rothstein's massive Ponzi scheme imploded. Melissa's best friend, Debra Villegas, is in a federal courtroom today facing a charge of money-laundering for her alleged role in aiding in the financial scam.
Debra's estranged husband, Tony Villegas, has been in jail for more than two years, accused of killing Melissa. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
As the feature story explains the friendship between Debra and Melissa, this video, made by a friend of Melissa's, provides an intimate window into Melissa's world.