Alva man sentenced to 30 years for 2nd-degree murder of father

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:

An Alva man accused of murdering his father and stuffing him in a freezer inside their home has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Jake Hemmert was sentenced Monday morning after withdrawing his previous not-guilty plea, opting for a no-contest plea after being arrested in September 2023.

Hemmert pleaded no contest to the charges of second-degree murder with a firearm, tampering with evidence, abuse of a human body and fraudulent use of a credit card.

Jake’s sister, Jessica Hemmert, released statements regarding the murder, stating that she has been tormented for the last 354 days since losing her father.

The interaction with the judge lasted no longer than 10 minutes.

Hemmert must serve a 25-year mandatory minimum followed by 10 years of state probation.

He was also ordered no contact with family.

Jake Ryan Hemmert mugshot. CREDIT: LCSO

Background

Brian Hemmert was last heard from around June 20, 2023. Detectives said that’s when the unusual activity with his bank cards began. It’s also around the same time Brian’s son, Jake, started selling off Brian’s possessions.

Investigators stated that, at that time, a large freezer chest was delivered to the home.



According to his arrest report, the killer first told investigators his father was away on a hunting trip.

He later said the last time he’d seen his father was when he “dropped him at Punta Gorda Airport for a trip to Utah.”

Investigators added that in a follow-up interview, Jake claimed “his father had fled the country to fight human trafficking.”

On Sept. 7, after getting an additional search warrant, investigators found Brian Hemmert’s body stuffed in a freezer.

On Sept. 13, in a follow-up interview with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, detectives said Jake admitted to “shooting his father in bed but claimed it to be a suicide request from his father.”

The mattress was cut up and stuffed in trash bags before being stashed in the attic.

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