Justice Chimner was a fourteen year old living in Battle Creek Michigan when he would murder Jack Snyder
According to court documents Justice Chimner and Dewond Estes III were walking down the road when they were picked up by Jack Snyder.
Somewhere along the ride Justice Chimner and Dewond Estes III decided to carjack Jack Snyder. During the struggle Snyder would be fatally shot
Justice Chimner and Dewond Estes III would be arrested and charged with murder
Justice Chimner would plead guilty to murder and would admit to being the one who fatally shot Jack Snyder. Chimner would be sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison
Dewond Estes III would plead guilty to carjacking. If he behaves he will be released from a juvenile facility when he is eighteen however if he is deemed to still be a risk he faces an adult sentence
Where Is Justice Chimner Today
Justice Chimner is currently incarcerated at the Thumbs Correctional Facility
Justice Chimner Current Information
MDOC Number:
825274
SID Number:
6191791K
Name:
JUSTICE JAMES CHIMNER
Racial Identification:
White
Gender:
Male
Hair:
Brown
Eyes:
Blue
Height:
6′ 1″
Weight:
150 lbs.
Date of Birth:
02/01/2009 (17)
Current Status:
Prisoner
Earliest Release Date:
02/18/2058
Assigned Location:
Maximum Discharge Date:
02/18/2083
Security Level:
II
Justice Chimner Case
A West Michigan teen will spend the next 35-60 years in prison for the 2023 shooting death of Jack Snyder.
Justice Chimner, 15, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of open murder in the case as part of a Dec. 12 sentencing agreement.
This comes just over a year after Chimner and another teen, Dewond Estes III were charged as adults in Snyder’s murder on Aug. 29, 2023.
Before they were charged, Chimner and Estes III were walking along Battle Creek Avenue on Feb. 17 when Snyder, who was driving home from his girlfriend’s birthday party, offered both boys a ride home out of kindness.
The pair accepted Snyder’s offer and got into the car, but as the two teens tried to carjack the high school senior, shots went off, according to police.
Chimner later admitted that he pulled the trigger, shooting Snyder twice, while Estes III claimed he was just a bystander.
“I cannot bring back Jack Snyder, if I could, that would be the one thing in the world I would do,” Chimner said during sentencing Monday.
He continued, expressing his remorse and taking responsibility for killing the 17-year-old Battle Creek senior, “I have come to realize the severity of my mistake and I am truly sorry for any distress I may have caused to the Snyder family, court and community.”
Chimner’s lawyer added how the 15-year-old had an unstable upbringing that lacked parental structure, mentioning trauma, and abuse.
Theresa Snyder, Jack’s mother, believed Chimner’s past contributed to the decision he made the night her son was killed.
“It wasn’t new that he was a trouble maker, the schools knew it, probation officers knew it, his parents knew it,” Snyder said. “Clearly nobody did enough to stop it.”
Separately, Estes III admitted to talking with someone on Snapchat called “Spaz,” who has since been identified as Marcus Parsons, 20, about a stealing a car for money before Snyder was killed.
He ultimately received a blended sentence, an adult conviction with a juvenile sentence, on Jan. 6, and has since been placed under the ward of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Estes III will also remain within a juvenile home until he turns 18 years old, and court will also have to have a hearing every 90 days to monitor the teenager’s progress.
Depending on his progress, Estes III could have his sentence either lowered or increased, according to the ruling handed down by Judge John Hallacy.
Parsons was arrested and ultimately charged with felony murder about 22 days after Estes III’s sentencing on Jan. 28.
According to an affidavit, Parsons admitted the Snapchat name and account was his, and that his account was used to contact Chimner.
In addition, Parsons admitted to “being present” while discussing the carjacking, and believed Chimner had a gun that he had taken from his mother, but stated a friend had the conversation using his account.
Chimner and Estes III, on the other hand, stated Parsons was the only person present during the conversation about the carjacking, and no one else was involved, the affidavit detailed.
“He [Parsons] was in the planning and was the leader of sending the two juveniles to steal a car,” Jordan said. “He had also asked to buy a firearm from Chimner at one point too.”’
Parsons’ mother, Marye Broadus, believes her son is innocent, telling News Channel 3 Jan. 28 he “didn’t make anybody pull the trigger.”
“He’s not a murderer, and just because he looks the way he do does not make him the person everyone is pinning him to be,” Broadus said.
Teenager gets 35-60 years for 2023 murder of Battle Creek Central student Jack Snyder
