Parma Man Murdered 1-Year-Old Son, Sentenced To Life: Prosecutors

CLEVELAND — Jason Shorter was sentenced to life in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to murdering his 1-year-old son, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley said.

“This individual murdered his son to punish his child’s mother. There is no crueler form of abuse,” O’Malley said. “He has earned every day of his life sentence.”

On May 12, 2018, at 6:50 p.m., Shorter, 43, left his apartment in Parma with his son. He was required to drop the child off at his mother's house later that evening, prosecutors said.

Two hours later, bleeding from his wrist and chest, Shorter walked into the lobby of the Parma police department. He said he wanted to turn himself in for murder and attempted suicide, prosecutors said.

Shorter told police his 1-year-old son was in the trunk of his car, according to authorities.

Police took Shorter into custody and then searched his car. The 1-year-old was found in the truck and had been stabbed twice in the chest, prosecutors said.

Police tried to save the boy's life, but the 1-year-old was declared dead after being rushed to the hospital.

Investigators said Shorter murdered his son in the back seat of his car. The murder happened in the parking garage of Shorter's apartment complex, prosecutors said. The murder weapon was found in the car and video surveillance, DNA evidence and phone records supported Shorter's confession, prosecutors said.

Shorter pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and kidnapping. He was sentenced to life in prison. He will first be eligible for parole after serving 41 years in prison.