FORT WAYNE, IN – A Fort Wayne man was convicted Friday in the fatal stabbing of a longtime Waynedale Kroger employee, closing a tense three-day trial that recounted the violent events of last December.
Jurors in Allen Superior Court determined that 32-year-old Jermard Lewis was guilty of murder in connection with the December 7, 2023, attack that left Perla Nieto dead inside her workplace. Authorities said the incident stemmed from a dispute earlier that morning between Lewis and Nieto at the grocery store, which ultimately resulted in both Lewis and his girlfriend being removed from the premises.
Investigators testified that Lewis returned a short while later, entering the store once again and launching a deadly assault on Nieto, who was stabbed multiple times. Police arrested Lewis hours after the attack and charged him with murder.
Throughout the trial, members of the Waynedale community and Nieto’s family painted her as an integral figure, describing her decades-long commitment to Kroger and her status as a supervisor. Her husband, Jose, recounted her 31-year tenure at the store during emotional testimony.
On Thursday, Lewis took the stand in his own defense for about 25 minutes. He admitted to stabbing Nieto, though he gave conflicting accounts about the number of times he attacked her. During cross-examination, Lewis conceded that he stabbed Nieto “enough times not to care,” according to statements presented in court. Observers noted a lack of visible remorse throughout his testimony.
Court documents showed that Lewis was no stranger to the criminal justice system. In 2017, he was convicted of battery after striking a police officer during an arrest. While his initial prison sentence was suspended, a probation violation sent him to serve a year with the Indiana Department of Corrections, from which he was released in 2020.
Following Lewis’s arrest last year, his defense team sought a mental competency evaluation, resulting in examinations by two psychiatrists. The insanity defense was later dropped in the lead-up to the trial after the findings were reviewed.
Prosecutors emphasized the brutality of the attack, stressing the loss to the Waynedale community as they sought a conviction. The jury deliberated after three days of testimony before rendering the guilty verdict.
Lewis is now facing a possible prison term ranging from 45 to 65 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 23.