Inset left: Jermard Lewis (Allen County Sheriff”s Department). Inset right: Perla Nieto (Divine Mercy Funeral Home). Background: The Kroger grocery store where the killing took place in Waynedale, Indiana (Google Maps).
An Indiana man accused of fatally stabbing a grocery store employee in the middle of the day is close to hearing his fate.
Jermard Lewis, aged 32, faces charges for the murder of Perla Nieto, 59, in December 2023. This incident reportedly began as a misunderstanding that escalated when Lewis refused to let the matter rest.
Around 10:30 a.m. on December 7, 2023, Lewis and his girlfriend were present at the Kroger grocery store in Waynedale, Indiana, where Nieto was employed. Lewis believed he heard his name announced on the store’s intercom system. He approached Nieto to inquire, but she denied calling him, as reported by local CBS affiliate WANE, which referenced court documents and trial evidence.
Despite Nieto’s denial, Lewis seemed skeptical, remarking that if she did call him, it was “rude.” He asserted he wasn’t being confrontational, although other witnesses reportedly disagreed, describing his behavior differently. During this week’s trial, it was disclosed that the intercom message mentioned a name akin to Lewis’s.
The encounter did not conclude there. Lewis reportedly requested a manager, who tried to calm the situation. During his court testimony this week, Lewis claimed the manager told him he could keep shopping, but asserted that Nieto repeatedly ordered him to “shut up” and demanded he leave, as reported by WANE.
Lewis and his girlfriend eventually left but the conflict lingered, with Lewis feeling disrespected by Nieto. After dropping his girlfriend off at her residence, Lewis changed his attire and returned to the store.
About 35 minutes after the initial dispute, Lewis returned – allegedly with the intention of speaking with the manager again and resolving things. But, according to the suspect, Nieto is the first person he saw, so he approached her and put his hand on her shoulder, at which time he claimed that she “swung” at him.
Lewis admitted to stabbing Nieto but claimed his intention was never to kill her. When asked how many times he stabbed her with the pocket knife he kept in his car, he reportedly responded, “enough times not to care.”
Court records show Lewis’ defense team initially attempted an insanity defense, though that defense was later withdrawn. The defense has since suggested he should be charged with manslaughter – not murder – given Lewis’ testimony that he did not plan to kill Nieto, WANE reported.
Nieto has been remembered as a “wonderful, kind and caring wife, mother, and grandmother, who will be dearly missed,” according to her obituary.
Closing arguments were set to be held on Friday morning. Jurors will then deliberate.
