ALVA, Fla. (TCN) -- A man will spend three decades behind bars for killing his father, whose remains were discovered in a running freezer last year.
According to an Aug. 26 news release from the Florida State Attorney’s Office for the 20th Judicial Circuit, Jake Hemmert pleaded no contest to second-degree murder with a firearm in connection with his father’s death, as well as tampering with evidence, abuse of a human body, and fraudulent use of a credit card. Prosecutors said Hemmert was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years followed by 10 years of probation.
On Aug. 28, 2023, a family member reported 60-year-old Brian Hemmert missing to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to a home where the victim’s son, Jake Hemmert, eventually arrived driving his father’s car, according to a probable cause statement. Jake Hemmert reportedly told officials his father was away on a hunting trip and that he had spoken with him on the phone.
In the probable cause statement, deputies said Jake Hemmert allowed them to look through the residence, but he refused to let them into a locked bedroom, "claiming that is where his father kept his guns." The sheriff’s office described the defendant’s demeanor as "very nervous" at the time.
During the search of the house, the sheriff’s office learned Jake Hemmert was wanted out of Maricopa County, Arizona, for a separate outstanding warrant for larceny, and they took him into custody.
According to the probable cause statement, Jake Hemmert told authorities he dropped off his father at the airport for a trip to Utah and reiterated that he had spoken with him on the phone. However, Jake Hemmert did not allow officials to see his call logs.
The sheriff’s office said a detective obtained a search warrant for the home and discovered Brian Hemmert’s cellphone and credit card in his son’s bedroom drawer. According to the state attorney’s office, officials also found air fresheners throughout the residence, as well as bloodstains in the master bathroom. In a follow-up interview, Jake Hemmert allegedly claimed "his father had fled the country to fight human trafficking."
Investigators reportedly learned a large chest freezer had been delivered to Jake Hemmert’s home on June 22, 2023. Authorities said it coincided with a sudden change in the victim’s credit card usage and cellphone activity.
According to the probable cause statement, on Sept. 7, 2023, during a further search of the residence, officials located the freezer, which was hidden under supplies, still running, and duct taped shut. Authorities removed the duct tape, opened the freezer, and reportedly found Brian Hemmert’s remains.
An autopsy later revealed Brian Hemmert had sustained gunshot wounds, and his death was ruled a homicide. Investigators also reportedly obtained financial records and discovered Jake Hemmert had been using his father’s credit card daily since the victim’s disappearance, totaling over $23,000 in charges.
According to the probable cause statement, Jake Hemmert’s DNA was found on the freezer, and he later admitted to the crimes on Sept. 13, 2023. However, he reportedly said he shot his father in bed as a "suicide request."
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