Jako sentenced to life for the murders of two
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WHEELING -- The man who pleaded guilty to the murders of a pregnant woman and her boyfriend will serve life in prison for those crimes.
Gerald Jako will serve two concurrent life sentences for the August 2018 murders of Trevor Vossen and Lauren "Lulu" Jenkins. Jako's sentence will begin after he completes a prior 100-year sentence for a first-degree robbery conviction.
Jako has served five years of the 100-year robbery sentence and is eligible for parole at least 25 years into the sentence. Once he has completed the robbery sentence or is paroled, he will begin to serve the concurrent life sentences for the 2018 murders.
The life sentences for the murders will be a minimum of 15 years before he will be eligible for parole.
Jako pleaded guilty to the two counts of first-degree murder on Sep. 18, 2023. The double murder occurred between Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, 2018. The 38-year-old shot Jenkins and stabbed Vossen at the home of his girlfriend at the time, Dana Bowman, on Wheeling Island.
Jako then drove the remains to Raleigh County, where he burned and hid them at a site off Sullivan Road in Raleigh County. The remains were discovered 11 days later by Jeffrey Browning, who was in the area looking for firewood to heat his home.
The murder investigation spanned five years and multiple counties in the state. At a press conference held by the state after Jako accepted the plea deal, photos of evidence that would have been used in the trial were displayed.
Evidence included bones discovered at the burn site that "indicated dismemberment," according to Wheeling Police Detective Sgt. Rob Saffreed. Multiple tools were also found at the site including "six assault blades."
At Bowman's residence, the WPD discovered a "pile of obviously burned material on a concrete pad" in the backyard of the house. A fragment of bone found on the pile was determined by the Smithsonian Institute of Anthropology to belong to Trevor Vossen.
Ohio County Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Turak explained during the press conference that Jako was motivated by revenge in committing the murders as he believed Vossen stole from him while he was incarcerated.
Turak recalled being "shocked" when Jako accepted the plea deal last year, but believes Jako thought pleading guilty would give him a shot at freedom down the line. Since Jako is 38 years old and serving at least 40 total years from consecutive sentences, Turak believes he will likely never "have the opportunity to breathe free air again."
Turak described Jako's sentence as "substantial, significant and exactly what the state wanted."
"Jako is not a changed man, and he's never going to change," said Turak. "His record is terrible and what he did was even worse."
Defense attorney Jeremy Cooper attributed Jako's actions to being in the throes of drug addiction during the sentencing hearing. Cooper asked Circuit Judge David Sims to consider running the robbery and murder sentences concurrently so that Jako would be eligible for parole in 20 years.
By giving Jako the ability to "see that light at the end of the tunnel" in the form of parole, Cooper explained would be even further motivated to better himself. The attorney added that Jako has been productive in prison so far.
In his statement, Jako described everyday being "a challenge or a struggle."
"I'll continue to try to grow as a human being and live my life in a righteous manner and not make the same mistakes," said Jako. "I hope one day I can make a difference in somebody's life."
Ohio County Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Turak described Jako's pre-sentence report of his version of the events as "self-pity and victim blaming."
"Jako has made audacious comments which attempt to suggest his downward spiral began out of a drug addiction caused by a car accident close in time to these murders," said Turak. "His self-serving statements have no sincere remorse but a regret of being caught and convicted."
During his delivery of the sentence, Sims noted he was "familiar with addiction" as he runs the drug courts of the First Judicial Circuit.
"I see people suffering from addiction almost on a daily basis, but I don't see them commit the kind of crimes that Mr. Jako committed in this case," said Sims, who described Jako's actions as "particularly heinous."
"Not only did he murder two people but then he dismembered their bodies and burned them, leaving their families with nothing," noted Sims. "Not even the ability to mourn and bury their family members."
During the hearing, Turak read statements from Vossen's mother, Sarilyn Vossen, and his sister, Taylor Vossen.
Taylor Vossen said the emotions brought by the murder of her brother "still linger today." What "bothers her more" than her own pain is that the loss will forever impact Vossen's 10-year-old son who was 5 at the time of the murder.
"I will cherish the memories that I made, but will forever wonder what memories we could have made in the future," said Taylor Vossen. "As Trevor's son grows, his memory of his dad will fade away."
In her statement, Sarilyn Vossen recalled a father's day between Vossen and his son spent playing at the pool together. Now, Vossen's son "hardly remembers bits and pieces of his dad."
"His son was his pride and joy," said Sarilyn Vossen. "He was such a hands-on dad from the very beginning. His son will have to grow up without his father and no clear memory of him beyond what others have told him."
Sarilyn Vossen noted there would be no more holidays, birthdays or special occasions for the family to celebrate together again. The "simple mention" of his name brings the family to tears.
"How do you define pain that never goes away?" she said. "I can't even begin to express how much I miss my son. The only thing I have now is 27 years of previous memories."
Jenkins's sister, Amber Jenkins, read a statement on behalf of her family. She described their reality as waking up to a nightmare every day.
"We hold on to memories and old pictures knowing new ones will never be made," said Jenkins. "To speak of her in the past tense is heartbreaking and hard to come to terms with. It's a void that will never be filled."
After spending years recalling and reliving the murders, Turak hopes the families can begin the natural grieving process for their loved ones.
"It's my sincere hope that they eventually one day find a reason to smile again when they hear the names of their loved ones that they lost and that they can put this whole court system behind them," said Turak. "That closure cannot be underestimated."