Kevin Lewis Perpetrator

Overview

Kevin Lewis is the subject of the Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever, Season 1 Episode 4 ("Married to a Monster"). After his marriage to Amanda Canales collapsed, Lewis hired a hitman to kill Amanda. Due to a case of mistaken identity, the hitman instead shot and killed Amanda's sister, Alisha Canales-McGuire, in Everett, Washington in 2015. The case is one of the most disturbing murder-for-hire plots documented in the Worst Ex Ever series.

Pattern of Behavior

According to court records from Snohomish County and reporting by the Everett Herald, Kevin Lewis exhibited controlling and threatening behavior during his marriage to Amanda Canales. The Netflix docuseries Worst Ex Ever examines how Lewis's conduct escalated from emotional manipulation to outright threats as the marriage deteriorated. His pattern of behavior followed a trajectory common to intimate-partner violence cases featured in the true crime series — escalating control, isolation, and ultimately lethal intent.

When Amanda Canales separated from Kevin Lewis, his response was not to accept the end of the relationship but to seek her elimination. The Worst Ex Ever episode traces this escalation from domestic conflict to a calculated murder-for-hire conspiracy in Everett, Washington.

The Murder-for-Hire Plot

Kevin Lewis hired a hitman to kill his estranged wife Amanda Canales at her home in Everett, Washington in 2015. The plot involved financial transactions and communications that investigators later used to establish Lewis's role as the architect of the conspiracy. Lewis arranged payment to an intermediary who recruited the actual gunman — a layered scheme designed to insulate Lewis from direct connection to the killing.

The Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever details the mechanics of the murder-for-hire plot, examining how Lewis identified and paid the individuals who would carry out the killing. The true crime episode presents the conspiracy as an example of how determined abusers will go to extreme lengths to maintain control over their victims, even after separation.

The Investigation

The investigation into the murder of Alisha Canales-McGuire was conducted by Snohomish County detectives in Everett, Washington. Investigators faced the challenge of proving that Kevin Lewis — who was not present at the shooting — had orchestrated the killing from a distance. The case required tracing financial records, phone communications, and witness testimony to establish the conspiracy.

The investigation spanned several years, with Lewis not facing trial until 2021. The Netflix docuseries Worst Ex Ever examines the investigative challenges and the persistence of Snohomish County law enforcement in building a case against Lewis despite the complexity of the murder-for-hire scheme.

The 2021 Trial

Kevin Lewis was tried for the first-degree murder of Alisha Canales-McGuire in Snohomish County Superior Court in 2021 — six years after the killing in Everett, Washington. Prosecutors presented evidence of the murder-for-hire conspiracy, including financial records, communications, and testimony from cooperating witnesses who helped establish Lewis's role in arranging the killing.

The trial drew significant attention in the Everett, Washington community and was subsequently featured in the Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever. The proceedings revealed the full scope of Lewis's plot and the tragic mistaken-identity error that resulted in Alisha's death rather than Amanda's.

Conviction and Sentence

A Snohomish County jury convicted Kevin Lewis of first-degree murder for the killing of Alisha Canales-McGuire. The conviction represented accountability for a crime that had devastated the Canales family and the Everett, Washington community. Lewis is currently serving his sentence in the Washington State Department of Corrections system.

The Worst Ex Ever Episode

The Netflix true crime docuseries Worst Ex Ever features Kevin Lewis's case as the Season 1 finale, using the Everett, Washington murder-for-hire as a powerful closing statement about the extremes to which intimate-partner violence can escalate. The episode includes testimony from Amanda Canales and examines the systemic factors that allowed Lewis to orchestrate a killing from outside the immediate domestic relationship.

Legal status

Lewis was charged with first-degree murder for the killing of Alisha Canales-McGuire and tried in Snohomish County Superior Court. A jury convicted him in 2021. His case is reviewed on this page at each 180-day editorial cycle.

Charges & status

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