An Alva man accused of shooting his father and putting his body in a freezer changed his plea Monday, nearly one year after authorities discovered the remains.
Jake Hemmert, 32, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder; fraudulent use of a credit card; tampering with or fabricating physical evidence; and abusing a dead human body. Lee Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson accepted his plea and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
Assistant State Attorney Andreas Gardiner, who prosecuted the case for the state, read a short note written by Jake Hemmert’s sister, Jessica Hemmert.
Jessica Hemmert said she has been “tormented” the “last 364 days,” adding that their father has missed birthdays and other family milestones.
The investigation into Jake Hemmert began Aug. 28, 2023, when his grandfather reported the disappearance of Jake’s father, Brian, according to court records.
Authorities went to Brian Hemmert’s home, where Jake Hemmert arrived driving his father’s vehicle, according to an arrest report. Jake Hemmert told detectives his father was on a hunting trip in the western U.S. and that he had recently spoken to him on the phone. But Brian Hemmert’s cellphone pinged to the father-son’s shared Alva home.
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During the investigation, Lee County sheriff’s deputies learned Jake Hemmert had an outstanding warrant for theft in Maricopa County, Arizona. Deputies arrested him.
A detective obtained a search warrant and found Brian Hemmert’s cellphone and credit card in a drawer in Jake’s bedroom, the report states. Blood was also visible in the master bedroom bathroom.
As the investigation continued, a detective learned a large chest freezer was delivered to the home June 22, 2023. This coincided with a change in Brian Hemmert’s credit card usage and cellular activity, according to the report.
During a Sept. 7, 2023, search, the sheriff’s office’s homicide unit team found the freezer duct-taped shut and running. They opened it, revealing a male body, which was later identified as Brian Hemmert.
An autopsy revealed Brian Hemmert had two gunshot wounds, and the death was ruled a homicide.
Lee County sheriff’s detectives arrested Jake Hemmert on Sept. 13, 2023, when he admitted to shooting his father in bed, saying it was a suicide request. He also confessed to cleaning up the scene, destroying the mattress and spending as much as $30,000 on his father’s card.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at [email protected] or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Alva man changes plea year after father found dead in duct-taped freezer
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