TERRE HAUTE —
A man accused in the October homicide of his estranged wife has requested a public defender and will return to court Monday.
Enzert G. Lewis, 38, appeared in Vigo Superior Court 3 on Wednesday where attorney James Organ was appointed as his public defender. Lewis also asked that the Jamaican Embassy be notified of his arrest. He is a Jamaican citizen.
Trial dates in the felony murder case are expected to be set Monday.
Lewis was charged Tuesday in the homicide of Allyson Elmi-Lewis, whose remains were found Nov. 3 in rural eastern Vigo County.
In court Wednesday morning, Judge David Bolk read Lewis the criminal charges of murder; a class-D felony altering the scene of a death; a class-D felony obstruction of justice; and invasion of privacy, a class-A misdemeanor.
The Vigo County Sheriff’s Department investigated the death of Elmi-Lewis, who’s unidentified body was found Nov. 3 just off Hyde Road along the Vigo-Clay county line about a mile north of Indiana 42.
Enzert Lewis was arrested Nov. 6 on a charge of invasion of privacy after he allegedly admitted to investigators that he violated a no-contact order issued by the court in a case of domestic violence involving his estranged wife. He was held in the Vigo County Jail on that charge.
The probable cause affidavit filed with the court states that investigators found that someone had used bleach and another cleansing products to clean up blood stains in the 14th Street apartment that Lewis had shared with his wife. Blood-stained items from that apartment were also located in Lewis’ bedroom at his cousin’s home on Monterey Avenue.
And, blood stains were found in the car that Lewis drove at the time of his wife’s death.
The probable cause affidavit also states that while Lewis denied to police that he knew about his wife’s death, Lewis talked about killing his wife with his cousin as well as another inmate in the Vigo County Jail.
Lewis appeared in court Wednesday under heavy guard by the sheriff’s department. He made no comments as he was led into or out of the courtroom.
Reporter Lisa Trigg can be reached at 812-231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @TribStarLisa.
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Suspect in homicide requests public defender
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