Indiana Man Charged With Murder of Wife 19 Years Later

A Woman Who Never Came Home

On the afternoon of December 4, 2007, Delia Lerma, 33, left her home on South Bendix Street in South Bend, Indiana, to drive one minute to Rosales Food Store on Western Avenue. She was going to pick up ingredients to make tamales and told her family she would meet a friend and be back shortly. She never returned. Her husband, Lucio Lerma Sr., filed a missing persons report that evening, police said. Four days later, officers responded to a call in the 2100 block of South Carlisle Street, where someone had spotted Delia’s van. She was found inside, stabbed multiple times.

Initial investigators questioned friends and family members at the time of the killing, but no arrests were made. The case went cold. Nearly two decades passed before authorities took the investigation to a grand jury.

Arrest and Indictment

Lucio Lerma Sr., now 56, was arrested and arraigned on March 23, 2026, in connection with his wife’s death, according to WNDU. A St. Joseph County grand jury indictment charged him with murder. A judge denied bail, and Lerma is being held in the St. Joseph County Jail pending further proceedings. His next court hearing is scheduled for April 6.

Court paperwork detailing the specific evidence that led to the indictment has not yet been released. Lucio Lerma Sr. has not been convicted. The charges against him represent the sole current allegation in connection with Delia Lerma’s death.

Nearly Two Decades of an Unsolved Case

In a statement made to WNDU in the days after Delia’s death in 2007, Lucio Lerma Sr. said he was devastated by the loss and concerned for their children. The family had lived together in South Bend. A grocery store clerk reportedly remembered seeing Delia at the store on the day she disappeared, according to reporting from WNDU. Beyond those initial details, investigators had limited publicly available leads for years.

The case drew renewed attention in 2024 when WNDU reported that the investigation had become active again. Authorities have not publicly described what evidence or new information prompted the grand jury presentation in early 2026.

What Comes Next

The investigation into Delia Lerma’s 2007 death remains ongoing. The court hearing scheduled for April 6 will determine the next steps in the prosecution of Lucio Lerma Sr. The evidence that led to the grand jury indictment has not yet been made available in public court filings, and authorities have declined to provide additional details at this time.

References: Husband arrested in nearly 20-year-old cold case investigation over wife’s death | Husband arrested in nearly 20-year-old cold case murder of South Bend woman