A Michigan man strangled his ex-girlfriend on a couch before moving her remains to the basement of his apartment.

Matthew Lewinski, 42, was convicted of first-degree murder, more than five years after killing his ex-girlfriend, Courtney “Jerri” Winters.

As reported by local media Macomb Daily, Lewinski was accused of strangling Winters in December 2020 after she visited him at the apartment they shared in Clinton Township, Michigan. Prosecutors said the former couple had been separated for a month when Winters showed up unexpectedly at the apartment and told Lewinski she had had an abortion.

Winters sat in an armchair while Lewinski made him tea in the kitchen. The ex-couple had an argument that led to a fight. Winters allegedly bit Lewinski, who then strangled her until she lost consciousness.

At a preliminary hearing in May 2022, Debra Federico, Lewinski's sister, testified that he was hospitalized that month after being found wandering around the grounds of the Crosswinds condominium in his underwear.

Federico testified in court that he had not spoken to his brother since 2019, but that he was monitoring the condominium where he lived because it belonged to his father. She said Lewinski wouldn't let her in when she tried to do so.

On July 27, 2021, the condo association contacted Federico because the apartment lights were on, but no one was home. At the time, Lewinski was hospitalized. Federico testified in court that she and her family were looking for a ceramic Christmas decoration and took the opportunity to enter the condominium to look for it.

Instead, they found human remains in the basement. The family called the police, who confirmed that there were decomposing human remains of a woman in the basement of the condominium. The mutilated body was naked, lying face down, and it appeared that part of its skin had been torn off.

A detective testified that there was blood in the basement, as well as bottles of bleach, a knife and rubber gloves.

Lewinski confessed to the murder after being questioned by police at the hospital. As reported by the Macomb Daily, he told police that Winters had incited him.

Lewinski's defense argued that he had been a victim of intimate partner violence at the hands of Winters, who frequently threatened him. They claimed she lost control when she learned that Winters had terminated her pregnancy. Winters' criminal history and troubled family relationship were also presented to the jury.

The prosecution disputed this claim, pointing out that Lewinski also had a conflictive relationship with his family, and indicating that his sister had to sneak into his apartment while he was hospitalized.

While the defense argued that Winters was the aggressor, the prosecution refuted this claim by presenting witnesses who testified that Lewinski was the one in control. The prosecution argued that the act of strangulation demonstrated premeditation, stating in court: "It was a conscious act... five minutes of reflection to take someone's life. It was not a simple instantaneous shot."

Lewinski was convicted of first-degree murder, mutilation and concealment of a corpse, and faces a sentence of life in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 14.