A South Bend man charged earlier this year with murder in the 2007 death of his wife has been found dead.

South Bend Police were called to the 700 block of South Bendix Drive around 11:50 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, for a report of an unresponsive man. Officers found 56-year-old Lucio Lerma Sr. dead at the scene.

The St. Joseph County Coroner’s Office is investigating and has requested an autopsy. Police said there were no initial signs of foul play or suspicious activity.

Lerma was charged with murder in March in connection with the 2007 killing of his wife, Delia Lerma.

The case had been reopened by the South Bend Police Department’s Cold Case Unit. Investigators conducted additional interviews and received resources from the television program “Cold Justice,” leading to charges nearly two decades after Delia Lerma’s death.

Because Lerma has died, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office is in the process of dismissing the murder charge.