Parma Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder Of 1-Year-Old Son
3/16/2020
CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced that Jason Shorter, 43, was sentenced to Life in prison for murdering his 1-year-old son in May 2018.
“This individual murdered his son to punish his child’s mother. There is no crueler form of abuse,” said Prosecutor O’Malley. “He has earned every day of his Life sentence.”
On May 12, 2018, at approximately 6:50pm, Shorter left his Parma apartment near Regency Dr. and Laurent Dr. with his 1-year-old son. Shorter, who had temporary visitation of his son, was required to drop him off at his mother’s residence in Euclid later that evening.
Approximately two hours later, Shorter walked into the lobby of the Parma Police Department (PPD) and stated he wanted to turn himself in for murder and attempted suicide. He was bleeding from self-inflicted wounds to his wrists and chest. Shorter stated that he hurt his son and that he was in the trunk of his car.
PPD officers arrested Shorter and immediately responded to his vehicle in the parking lot where they found the child in the trunk suffering from two stab wounds to his chest. The officers administered life-saving measures until EMS arrived and transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Further investigation by PPD revealed that Shorter murdered his son in the back seat of his car while in the parking garage of his apartment complex. The murder weapon was recovered on scene in the vehicle. Video surveillance, DNA evidence, and phone records supported Shorter’s confession.
He pled guilty to Aggravated Murder and Kidnapping. He was sentenced to Life in prison with first eligibility of parole after serving 41 years.