DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced today that Gerard Stewart has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 2018 killing of his wife.
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Previously, a jury found Stewart guilty of tampering with evidence associated with the same crime. With this new plea, Stewart now faces up to life in a Florida state prison. Judge London Kite, who is proceeding over the case, will schedule a sentencing hearing at a later date.
On June 15, 2018, Stewart’s neighbor called the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office stating Stewart told him he had killed his own wife and placed her body in the trunk of his car.
Stewart was arrested when the body was found and told officers he killed his wife by stabbing her two to three times, but an autopsy revealed 13 wounds, including her throat being cut.
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Stewart told officers his wife told him she was going to take everything, including their son, from him in their upcoming divorce. He then admitted that after killing his wife, he wrapped her inside trash bags secured with tape and placed her in the trunk of his vehicle.
The investigation was conducted by JSO and revealed text messages that showed Stewart knew of his wife’s plans several days before the crime.
Stewart is being prosecuted by assistant state attorneys Ashley Terry, Cameron French and Jennifer Braunstein.
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