PLATTSBURGH — Timothy Timmons has received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison for the murder of Jahfari Joseph, who was shot and killed in the town of Peru in late 2024.
With his attorney Brian Barrett, of Lake Placid, by his side, Timmons received the sentence from Judge Keith Bruno in Clinton County Court on Wednesday afternoon.
“The court finds that this is a tragedy for two entire families: Mr. Joseph’s family and Mr. Timmons’ family,” Bruno said, “that the selfish actions of Mr. Timmons have led us to this courtroom today.”
Joseph’s murder took place on the night of Dec. 29, 2024, at 646 Fuller Road, Peru, the location of Timothy Timmons’ ex-wife Kelly Timmons’ house.
After murdering Joseph, Timmons kept his body in the Fuller House garage until he requested help from his friend Chad Nichols to dispose of it, which he did.
Following a police investigation into Joseph’s disappearance, Timmons was eventually arrested and charged in January 2025.
Police did not find Joseph’s body until February 2025 during a search along Route 26 in the Town of Franklin, where he was found down a steep embankment.
Timmons went to trial in Clinton County Court to plead his innocence in October.
However, after the two-week long murder trial, which brought several witnesses to the stand to testify against him, including his two children and ex-wife, a jury found Timmons guilty of second-degree murder. Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie and Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Kehm prosecuted the case.
In court Wednesday, Kehm asked for the maximum possible sentence for Timmons.
“Honestly, 25 to life just doesn’t feel like enough to fully hold the defendant accountable for what he did, but that’s what the law allows for,” Kehm said. “That is the sentence warranted here.”
Theresa Joan John, Joseph’s mother, spoke in court over video Wednesday, also. She said her son’s death was a pain so deep it “changed every part of her life.”
“There are no words strong enough to describe what it feels like to be a mother standing here because her son was killed in such a violent … way, it shattered me,” Joan John said.
“Jahfari was my son, my heart, my friend.”
Bruno said since the guilty verdict came in, he had been thinking carefully about what sentence would be in the best interest of society, calling it a difficult decision.
Barrett had also tried to argue for a lesser sentence of 15 years to life in prison, claiming Timmons has always been a productive member of society. He said Timmons also had no prior criminal record and was one of the “kindest, most conscientious” people he has ever represented.
The words did not sway Bruno.
“We do not live in a society in the United States of America that lets us take justice into its own hands. We are guided by a constitution, and we are to follow as members of society. Mr. Timmons did not do that,” he said before handing down the 25 years to life sentence.
“Further, it is the deeply troubling to the court the callousness and disregard displayed by Mr. Timmons upon the demise of Mr. Joseph — to leave him in a garage, and then to arrange for his body to be disposed of in such an inhumane way — words cannot describe to the court as to how a human being takes such actions with such disregard and takes no accountability or responsibility for his actions.”
Timmons was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,077.50 to the New York State Office of Victim Services. The court also imposed a mandatory surcharge of $300, a crime victim fee of $25 and a mandatory DNA registration fee of $50 for a total of $375.
When sentencing concluded, Wylie and Kehm told the media they hope the result brings some amount of closure and justice to the family.
Wylie said it’s good to have a case of this nature conclude. However, what lies ahead may be more of the same type of cases for the DA’s office.
“Ten years ago, it would be OK. We finished this case. We can go on now to our DWI cases, we can go on to our drug cases, but in today’s world, we’re just now moving on to the next homicide case that we have,” Wylie said.
“So it’s our kind of normal day of business. We continue to pursue justice for the people here of Clinton County, and it is good to have this case behind us at this point in time.”