CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The man found guilty last month of murdering his girlfriend and hiding her body in the basement for at least seven months will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole, a Macomb County judge ruled Tuesday.
Matthew Lewinski, 42, of Clinton Township, was charged with first-degree murder and two other felonies for the December 2020 murder of 52-year-old Jerri Winters, in the apartment they shared.
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According to police, Lewinski strangled Winters and removed portions of her body in an attempt to conceal her murder. Police say he stored the body in a bathtub before moving her to the basement, where family members ultimately found her on July 27, 2021, after Lewinski was reportedly hospitalized.
“This sentence represents the final chapter in a long and difficult pursuit of justice for Jerri Winters and her loved ones,” said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido, in a statement. “While no outcome can erase the pain of losing a loved one, we hope this resolution provides the victim’s family with a sense of closure and peace as they continue to move forward.”
In addition to first-degree murder, Lewinski was convicted of disinterment and mutilation of a body and concealing the death of an individual.