LEE COUNTY, Florida- A chilling discovery has led to the arrest of a man for the alleged murder of his own father. Jake Hemmert, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, is facing charges for the murder of his father, Brian Hemmert, whose body was found concealed in a freezer at his River Hall residence.
The case, which has sent shockwaves through the community, began to unfold when Brian Hemmert, aged 60, was reported missing by his other son, Paul Hemmert. The investigation took a grim turn when Brian’s body was discovered in a large chest freezer, hidden from view and sealed with duct tape, at his home.
Jake Hemmert, according to the authorities, shot his father while he was in bed and then proceeded to clean the bloody mattress, which was later found in the attic covered in trash bags. He is also accused of spending over $30,000 on his father’s credit cards. Jake initially claimed that his father had been involved in a car accident in June but was unharmed. He later admitted to fabricating the story to avoid speaking with his father, Paul Hemmert.
In a twist of events, Jake Hemmert changed his story, stating that the last time he saw his father was when he dropped him off at the Punta Gorda Airport for a trip to Utah. He then claimed his father had left the country to combat human trafficking. However, these claims were contradicted by the evidence found at the scene and the lack of corroborating cell phone records.
Upon discovery of Brian Hemmert’s body, fingerprints matching Jake’s were found. He subsequently confessed to shooting his father, cleaning up the crime scene, disposing of the mattress, and spending a significant amount of his father’s money.
Jake Hemmert has been charged with second-degree murder, credit card fraud, and grand theft. The investigation was launched on August 28, following a missing person report filed by Paul Hemmert. Jake was arrested on the same day on an unrelated warrant from Arizona. The cause of Brian Hemmert’s death has yet to be disclosed by the authorities.
Paul Hemmert, who reported his brother missing, stated that he had regular weekly phone calls with his father, a routine that abruptly ended. He was informed last week by deputies that his father’s body had been found at the residence on Yellow Wood Drive.