An Ohio man who shot his pregnant sister and her husband, killing the couple and their preborn child, has been given three life sentences and will spend the rest of his life in prison. He pleaded guilty to murder charges — including a murder charge in the preborn baby’s death. During the shooting, the man also shot at his own 13-year-old son.
Jason Iverson was reportedly irate after his children had chosen to live with his sister, Mercedes Iverson. Last year, after confronting the family at their home, Jason Iverson started a fight, but pregnant Mercedes and her husband, Trea “Norbert” Carter III, tried to walk away and disengage, only for Iverson to follow them. He opened fire, killing Mercedes, Carter, and their preborn child; Mercedes was seven months pregnant at the time of the shooting. Jason Iverson’s 13-year-old son was also shot but survived his injuries.
Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Kristin Karkutt said that, after witnessing his wife and nephew’s attack, Carter fled to the bathroom of a park pavilion in an effort to draw Iverson away from people nearby and prevent bystanders from getting hurt. He was shot 12 times. “While he may not have any future familial legacy, maybe this will be his legacy,” Karkutt said. “He died saving people.”
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Mercedes was expecting a little girl, and both parents were thrilled to meet their baby in the next two months. Her name was Ava.
On March 13th, Iverson pled guilty to three counts of aggravated murder, one each for his sister, her husband, and their preborn child. He also pled guilty to felonious assault for the shooting of his son, who sobbed during the sentencing hearing in court.
“I can’t sit here and hate you for the rest of my life. That’s too much to weigh upon myself,” the now-14-year-old boy said to his father, who also cried. “But I also know I can’t sit here and forgive you.” Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Rick Bell sentenced Iverson to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Jason Iverson violently gunned down his sister, her unborn child, and his brother-in-law at a church picnic,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in a statement. “In the process, he shot at his own 13-year-old son, grazing him in the face. Iverson displayed a horrific level of violence that day and today’s conviction holds him accountable for that. My thoughts and prayers remain with the victims’ family during this time.”
