Florida Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Killing Father and Concealing Body in Freezer

True Crime Today | A True Crime Podcast

A Florida man, Jake Hemmert, 32, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of his father, Brian Hemmert, 60, in the retirement community home they shared. The chilling case gained attention when authorities discovered Brian’s body in a chest freezer, purchased with his own credit card by his son, who went on to spend $23,000 of his father’s money.
Jake Hemmert pleaded no contest to charges of second-degree murder with a firearm, tampering with evidence, abuse of a human body, and fraudulent use of a credit card, according to a statement released by prosecutors on Monday.
The case came to light after Brian Hemmert’s father reported him missing to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on August 28, 2023. He hadn’t heard from Brian since June of that year and requested a welfare check at his residence. When deputies arrived, they found nobody home, but Jake Hemmert arrived shortly after in his father’s vehicle. Jake claimed his father was on a hunting trip and had recently spoken to him. However, deputies became suspicious when they pinged Brian’s cell phone and discovered it was inside the house.
As the investigation progressed, authorities uncovered a disturbing series of events. Jake Hemmert was arrested on an outstanding warrant and later confessed to killing his father in what he claimed was a suicide request. He admitted to cleaning up the crime scene and disposing of evidence, including the mattress on which the murder occurred.
During a search of the home on September 7, 2023, detectives discovered the large chest freezer hidden under a pile of supplies. Inside, they found Brian Hemmert’s body, shot to death and concealed with duct tape.
Jake Hemmert had used his father’s credit card extensively after the murder, spending over $23,000 and selling his father’s tools online. In his confession, Jake claimed his father allowed him to use the card, but the evidence painted a different picture.
Jessica Hemmert, Jake’s sister, delivered a powerful victim impact statement, expressing her anguish and inability to forgive her brother for their father’s death. “Every day for the last 354 days, I’ve had the same thought: I can’t forgive. I’ve been tormented,” she said, reflecting on the year-long ordeal that ended with her brother’s conviction.
Jake Hemmert will serve his 30-year sentence in a Florida state prison.
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