John Lewis appears in court, gets trial date moved back
A Niles Township man accused of killing his wife and then lying about it to police appeared in court before a judge on Friday before his trial was extended.
John Lewis, 49, still has yet to appear before a jury. While his jury trial was originally scheduled for February 6, both prosecutors and the defense agreed Friday that the trial will be longer than one week and would need to be moved to February 20 to March 2. A continued case conference will be held January 22, and a status conference will be held February 12.
Prosecutors also requested a scale model of the 9x7 room where Lewis’s wife’s body was found. The defense said they’d like to see the model before it’s built. Officers said that they would present the model and construct it based on measurements and photographs they took of the scene.
"It's going to be important for all of the parties, as well as the jury, to be able to see what is being questioned," said Judge Donna Howard of Berrien County.
In August, Lewis told police he and his wife Carla were tending to marijuana plants in their home when two men came inside. He told police that the men shot and killed his wife before stealing her SUV.
However, prosecutors say John killed Carla after he told her about an affair he was having and she planned to move out. John has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder and with the manufacturing of marijuana.
