Inside the Case of 17-Year-Old Who Was Slain After Offering Teens a Ride in the Cold: Killed for His Kindness

On Feb. 17, 2023, Jack Snyder, 17, had just left his girlfriend’s birthday party. As the high school senior was driving home, he spotted two teenagers walking in the cold in Battle Creek, Mich., and offered them a ride home, prosecutors said, according to local news outlets WWMT, WSBT-TV and WOOD-TV.

But the two teenagers, who got into Snyder’s car, had another agenda. Justice Chimner, then 14, and Dewond Estes III, then 13, were looking to steal a car, which they would then exchange for money, according to a probable cause affidavit cited by WOOD-TV. The day prior, Chimner saw that Estes had communicated with someone on Snapchat who made the offer, per the affidavit.

During the ride, the pair tried to carjack Snyder when a gunshot went off, ultimately killing Snyder, WWMT reported, citing authorities.

Chimner claimed he thought Snyder was reaching for a gun when he shot him twice, per the affidavit cited by WOOD-TV. Chimner allegedly admitted to investigators that he pulled the trigger, adding that he stole his mother’s handgun earlier that day, the outlet reported.

In August 2023, both teens were charged as adults with felony murder in connection with Snyder’s killing, per the outlets.

“I think it was 16 degrees that night and Chimner said he was just trying to be a nice guy," BCPD Detective Brandin Huggett said at the pair’s preliminary hearing, per WSBT-TV.

Chimner’s attorney Lee Graham argued that he was not involved in the carjacking since the communication was through Estes’ Snapchat account, per WSBT-TV.

Meanwhile, Estes' attorney, Don Sappanos, claimed that his client tri -

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ed to stop the shooting by telling Chimner to “stop” as soon as he saw him pull out the gun, WSBT-TV reported.

On Oct. 17, Estes, now 14, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking, Fox 17 reported, citing authorities. As part of the plea agreement, the felony murder charge was dropped. A sentencing date has not been announced.

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Following the announcement of the guilty plea, Snyder’s uncle Ryan Jordan said the victim's family is relieved to not have to go through a trial, saying “We're moving in the right direction, but we're not there yet.”

According to his obituary, Snyder was a senior at Battle Creek Central High School at the time of his death and was an honors student. He was remembered as someone who was "light-hearted, charismatic, athletic and humorous,” the obituary states.

“We didn't get to have a graduation for him,” Jordan told Fox 17. “Instead of a graduation open house, we had a memorial. Didn't get to see him off to college, the holidays have been a little bit different. It's been a little tough for the entire family.”

Snyder's family also raised more than $37,000 a GoFundMe campaign created in the wake of his death.

According to public court records, Chimner, now 15, faces charges of felony murder, carjacking and related-firearm offenses. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2025, the records show.

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