Anthony Perez sentenced for Sept. 4 killing in Walmart parking lot

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Anthony Perez's next day of freedom will come when he's 87.

Tippecanoe Superior 2 Judge Steve Meyer sentenced Perez Monday morning to 63 years in prison for murder and 15 years on a sentence-enhancing charge of using a firearm when he killed Casey Lewis on Sept. 4 in the Walmart parking lot on Lafayette's east side.

All totaled, Perez's sentence is 78 years. He'll have to serve 75% of that sentence — 58 1/2 years — before he can be released.

“I’m happy with the outcome," Lewis' mother, Jennifer Spence, said after the hearing. "He will spend the rest of his life in prison. He’ll die there.”

Perez pleaded guilty on Jan. 5 to killing Lewis after the two returned to Lewis' minivan after shopping. Lewis and Perez, who were dating, argued as Perez sat in the passenger seat of the van.

Previous coverage:Walmart shooter pleads guilty to Labor Day weekend murder

Perez wanted Lewis to drive them away from the parking lot because he feared the arguing would draw police. Perez was a fugitive because he cut off his work-release GPS tracking monitor three days before he killed Lewis.

When Lewis didn't drive away, Perez grabbed a revolver from the glovebox and fired one shot inside the van to persuade her to get in and drive away.

Lewis, however, didn't.

She was walking towards the back of the van when Perez pulled the trigger and the hammer fell on an empty chamber. Perez aimed the gun at Lewis and pulled the trigger again.

The gun fired and a bullet struck Lewis in the back. She screamed and fell to the ground, witnesses said at the time of the shooting.

Perez ran away as bystanders came to Lewis' aid.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dismissed other charges, including a charge of escape for cutting off his GPS tracker. Prosecutors also dismissed other actions pending in other cases against Perez.

Emotional exchange between Lewis' mother and Perez

Lewis' family and friends packed the courtroom for the sentencing hearing.

Spence had strong words for Perez, 29, as she stood in the witness box delivering her victim impact statement.

“Nothing you will ever say will justify killing my daughter," Spence said as she faced Perez during her statements.

"Casey was the big, bright sunshine in my life despite our differences,” she said. “I know you think you’re sorry, but I don’t think you are.”

Spence thanked Perez for pleading guilty, sparing the family from enduring a trial.

“Our family was good to you even though we knew you were bad news," Spence said.

“I hope you finally learn something about life and how precious it is,” she said to Perez about his pending prison sentence.

Similarly, Perez stood and faced Lewis' family in the courtroom gallery.

Remembering Casey Lewis:Murder victim Casey Lewis described as 'most beautiful soul'

“I’m sorry to all of you here today," Perez said. "I can’t imagine this is easy on anybody.

“Words are just air. My apology is not going to bring her back.”

Perez said his words could not mend the shatter souls or broken lives his actions caused, but he assured them his words were sincere, not an attempt to persuade the judge to give him a shorter sentence.

“I don’t deserve a light sentence. I don’t deserve to see the light of day,” Perez said, as his prophetic words foreshadowed the prison sentence handed down about 10 minutes later.

Perez professed his love for Lewis.

“She was a firecracker," he said, "and like a firecracker, she exploded into my life with color and excitement.”

“I did not wake up that day with malicious intentions,” Perez said of the killing, noting it was not premediated.

“None of you can hate me as much as I hate myself for what I done,” he said.

After the hearing, Spence said, “I think everything that comes out of his mouth is bull crap.”

Before handing down the sentence, Meyer noted that Perez took extraordinary steps to avoid capture, including leaving Lewis to die on the ground and running to a friend's house, who took him to Indianapolis.

There he visited his mother's house, before boarding a Greyhound bus bound for San Diego, Meyer noted.

Perez disembarked the bus in Little Rock, Arkansas, and police later stopped the bus west of Little Rock as they looked for Perez, Meyer said, taking note of the fear the passengers must have felt.

Police tracked the bus back to its last stop, Little Rock. Police arrested him there.

Meyer credited Perez's capture to extraordinary police work.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Perez indicated he planned to appeal the prison sentence.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Anthony Perez sentenced for Sept. 4 killing in Walmart parking lot