Topline: Lamar Parker received five to 22½ years for killing Nicholas Jernigan at a prom send-off, drawing objections from relatives who asked the court for accountability.
Published: September 17, 2026 7:04 am ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
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ANN ARBOR, MI — A man who killed a father of eight at a prom send-off celebration received a five-year minimum prison sentence September 15, prompting the victim’s relatives to challenge the punishment in court.
Lamar Parker, 48, was sentenced to five to 22½ years by Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Jinan Hamood after pleading no contest to manslaughter in July, MLive reported. Hamood stressed that eligibility for parole after five years does not guarantee release.
Parker received 121 days of credit toward the manslaughter sentence and credit for time served on a two-year felony-firearm sentence, according to the report.
Nicholas Jernigan, 44, was fatally shot in May 2024 in the 1000 block of Nash Avenue in Ypsilanti Township. Parker belonged to his extended family.
Parker previously claimed self-defense. At a 2024 preliminary examination before 15th District Court Chief Judge Joseph Burke, witness Andre Martin identified Jernigan as his uncle and described both men exchanging punches. Martin testified that they separated before Parker retrieved a gun from his car and shot Jernigan.
Jernigan’s wife, Kiana, testified that her husband was on the driver’s side of a vehicle in the street while Parker stood outside on that side. She pulled Parker off her husband, she said, and people were dispersing when she heard a gunshot.
All four relatives who addressed the sentencing court objected to the punishment; some described losing confidence in the justice system. Sister Latonya Jernigan said the minimum was excessively lenient for bringing a firearm into a fistfight and sought accountability, not revenge. Sister Jennifer Moon described the decision as devastating. Sister Felicia Jernigan called it a “slap on the wrist” and described grieving both her brother and the future experiences they would miss.
Kiana told the court she lives with having watched her husband die. Parker apologized, said he never intended the outcome and told relatives he prays for his children and Jernigan’s children, who are cousins.
Relatives said Jernigan was a new grandfather to twins. His obituary identified him as a Belleville High School graduate and a worker at a General Motors plant in Brownstown.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Lamar Parker received five to 22½ years for killing Nicholas Jernigan at a prom send-off, drawing objections from relatives who asked the court for accountability.
By Randy Shaw
Published: September 17, 2026 7:04 am ET
ANN ARBOR, MI — A man who killed a father of eight at a prom send-off celebration received a five-year minimum prison sentence September 15, prompting the victim’s relatives to challenge the punishment in court.
Lamar Parker, 48, was sentenced to five to 22½ years by Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Jinan Hamood after pleading no contest to manslaughter in July, MLive reported. Hamood stressed that eligibility for parole after five years does not guarantee release.
Parker received 121 days of credit toward the manslaughter sentence and credit for time served on a two-year felony-firearm sentence, according to the report.
Nicholas Jernigan, 44, was fatally shot in May 2024 in the 1000 block of Nash Avenue in Ypsilanti Township. Parker belonged to his extended family.
Parker previously claimed self-defense. At a 2024 preliminary examination before 15th District Court Chief Judge Joseph Burke, witness Andre Martin identified Jernigan as his uncle and described both men exchanging punches. Martin testified that they separated before Parker retrieved a gun from his car and shot Jernigan.
Jernigan’s wife, Kiana, testified that her husband was on the driver’s side of a vehicle in the street while Parker stood outside on that side. She pulled Parker off her husband, she said, and people were dispersing when she heard a gunshot.
All four relatives who addressed the sentencing court objected to the punishment; some described losing confidence in the justice system. Sister Latonya Jernigan said the minimum was excessively lenient for bringing a firearm into a fistfight and sought accountability, not revenge. Sister Jennifer Moon described the decision as devastating. Sister Felicia Jernigan called it a “slap on the wrist” and described grieving both her brother and the future experiences they would miss.
Kiana told the court she lives with having watched her husband die. Parker apologized, said he never intended the outcome and told relatives he prays for his children and Jernigan’s children, who are cousins.
Relatives said Jernigan was a new grandfather to twins. His obituary identified him as a Belleville High School graduate and a worker at a General Motors plant in Brownstown.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Five-Year Minimum in Father of Eight’s Killing Angers Family
Lamar Parker received five to 22½ years for killing Nicholas Jernigan at a prom send-off, drawing objections from relatives who asked the court for accountability.
By Randy Shaw
Published: September 17, 2026 7:04 am ET
ANN ARBOR, MI — A man who killed a father of eight at a prom send-off celebration received a five-year minimum prison sentence September 15, prompting the victim’s relatives to challenge the punishment in court.
Lamar Parker, 48, was sentenced to five to 22½ years by Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Jinan Hamood after pleading no contest to manslaughter in July, MLive reported. Hamood stressed that eligibility for parole after five years does not guarantee release.
Parker received 121 days of credit toward the manslaughter sentence and credit for time served on a two-year felony-firearm sentence, according to the report.
Nicholas Jernigan, 44, was fatally shot in May 2024 in the 1000 block of Nash Avenue in Ypsilanti Township. Parker belonged to his extended family.
Parker previously claimed self-defense. At a 2024 preliminary examination before 15th District Court Chief Judge Joseph Burke, witness Andre Martin identified Jernigan as his uncle and described both men exchanging punches. Martin testified that they separated before Parker retrieved a gun from his car and shot Jernigan.
Jernigan’s wife, Kiana, testified that her husband was on the driver’s side of a vehicle in the street while Parker stood outside on that side. She pulled Parker off her husband, she said, and people were dispersing when she heard a gunshot.
All four relatives who addressed the sentencing court objected to the punishment; some described losing confidence in the justice system. Sister Latonya Jernigan said the minimum was excessively lenient for bringing a firearm into a fistfight and sought accountability, not revenge. Sister Jennifer Moon described the decision as devastating. Sister Felicia Jernigan called it a “slap on the wrist” and described grieving both her brother and the future experiences they would miss.
Kiana told the court she lives with having watched her husband die. Parker apologized, said he never intended the outcome and told relatives he prays for his children and Jernigan’s children, who are cousins.
Relatives said Jernigan was a new grandfather to twins. His obituary identified him as a Belleville High School graduate and a worker at a General Motors plant in Brownstown.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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