LOS ANGELES — Actor Johnny Lewis was released from jail a week before he apparently killed his landlady and then died in a fall, police say.

Los Angeles police said Thursday that Lewis, 28 is the only suspect in the death of Catherine Davis, 81, who was discovered slain inside the hillside home in Los Feliz.

Authorities say it appears Davis was beaten. They say Lewis died Wednesday after climbing atop the home and either jumping or falling to the ground.

Lewis played Kip ‘‘Half-Sack’’ Epps in the FX show “Sons of Anarchy” in 2008 and 2009.

He pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and attempted burglary in separate cases this year, according to records.

Lewis enrolled in a drug, alcohol, and psychiatric treatment program over the summer, the records show.

Lewis was released from county jail Sept. 21. As a condition of his probation in both cases, he was ordered not to use narcotics.

Lewis’s attorney, Jonathan Mandel, said Thursday that he was ‘‘surprised’’ and ‘‘baffled’’ by the deaths.

He declined to comment on Lewis’s criminal history or possible drug problems pending consideration of client confidentiality requirements.

Before Lewis was discovered, neighbors reported hearing a woman screaming in the home, said Los Angeles Police Commander Andrew Smith.

Lewis had a career spanning more than a decade, mainly in small roles.