Grisly details involving Michigan man accused of murdering, mutilating girlfriend, living with body for months

Gruesome details connected to the case of a Michigan man accused of killing and mutilating his girlfriend in his condominium were revealed during a Thursday court hearing, including the storing of her body in a basement bathroom for several months.

Matthew Lewinski is charged with first-degree murder, disinterment and mutilation of a dead body and concealing the death of a person in connection to the death of Jerri Winters, who also went by Courtney, Fox Detroit reported. 

Lewinski’s sister and her husband testified during a preliminary hearing that they discovered the body in the Clinton Township residence in July 2021. 

Debra Federico told the court her brother was living in the condo, which was owned by her father. She said she had concerns about him and had not talked to him for some time. 

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The unit had also been foreclosed on. 

She and her husband were called by the condo association because the unit’s lights were left on and she needed to get some belongings back because of the foreclosure. 

Her husband, Joseph Federico, went to the basement while his wife waited outside. The couple’s son and a family friend were also present. 

“I saw something on the floor, didn’t know what it was,” Joseph Federico testified.

He said he could only see arms and legs from the body. Clinton Township Det. Michael Chirco testified that he responded to the scene and saw the body nude, face down with the arms apart and the body’s skin removed. 

Lewinski was hospitalized at the time, where he was admitted the day prior when he was found wandering the complex in his underwear, the news outlet said. He allegedly told investigators he choked Winters for five minutes before she stopped moving. 

Believing she was dead, he moved her body to the downstairs bathroom, Fox Detroit reported. Prosecutors believe Winters was killed in December 2020. 

Lewinski is due back in court on June 2.