A Macomb County judge sentenced 42-year-old Matthew Lewinski to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday, July 14, closing a horrific case that began in a suburban Michigan basement more than five years ago.
The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office announced the sentence following a jury trial that found Lewinski guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, disinterment and mutilation of a dead body, and concealing the death of an individual. The convictions stem from the December 2020 murder of his ex-girlfriend, 52-year-old Courtney “Jerri” Winters.
According to prosecutors, the fatal encounter began when Winters unexpectedly arrived at Lewinski’s home.
Though the couple had already broken up, Winters informed Lewinski that she had undergone an abortion. The conversation escalated into a physical altercation involving exchanged slaps. After Winters bit Lewinski, he choked her to death.
Following the murder, Lewinski placed Winters’ body in his bathtub before moving it to the basement. The remains stayed in the home for roughly seven months. During that time, Lewinski periodically removed portions of Winters’ body in an attempt to conceal and dispose of the evidence. Throughout the entire seven-month period, Winters was never reported missing by anyone.
The crime came to light in July 2021 due to a medical emergency. Neighbors found Lewinski wandering around his condominium complex in his underwear, mumbling incoherently. He was subsequently hospitalized. While he was receiving medical care, his sister visited his home, where she discovered Winters’ mutilated remains and contacted authorities.
While confined to his hospital bed, Lewinski confessed to the murder during an interview with police officers. That confession later became a central legal battle during court proceedings. Lewinski’s defense attorneys argued that the statement should be suppressed because investigators failed to read him his Miranda rights.
A trial court judge initially threw out the confession, but the Michigan Court of Appeals later reversed that decision, allowing the confession to be used as evidence during the trial that ultimately led to his life sentence.
READ: 60-Kilo Texas-To-Florida Pipeline Smashed In Pinellas County’s Largest Drug Bust In 40 Years
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
