Timothy Timmons has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty of fatally shooting a man at his ex-wife’s home in December 2024.
A judge handed down the sentence on Wednesday following Timmons’ conviction on a single count of second-degree murder. The verdict came after a 12-day jury trial held last fall, which included 10 days of testimony.
Timmons was found guilty of shooting and killing Jahfari Joseph of Plattsburgh, a Saint Lucian citizen, following a dispute at the home of his ex-wife, Kelly Timmons.
During sentencing proceedings, defense attorney Brian Barrett highlighted Timmons’ personal history and lack of prior criminal conduct. “He is a 62-year-old man with no criminal record,” Barrett told the court. “He is the kindest, most conscientious person that I have ever represented and may have ever met.”
However, prosecutors strongly disputed that characterization, emphasizing the severity and deliberate nature of the crime.
“It’s not the clean, choir boy, firefighter that Mr. Barrett tried to portray his client as,” said Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie.
Assistant District Attorney Jeff Kehm underscored Timmons’ direct responsibility for the killing. “One person pulled the trigger and that was Tim Timmons,” Kehm said. “He’s the one who’s directly responsible for this. He pulled that trigger seven times.”
Joseph’s mother, Theresa Joan John, addressed the court via Zoom, delivering an emotional victim impact statement. “I still cannot breathe properly when I think about the horror my child went through in his final moments,” she said. “The thought of my son being killed, and then tortured, is a pain that has changed every part of who I am.”
The trial featured testimony from 25 witnesses, including members of Timmons’ family. Timmons himself did not testify during the proceedings. In addition to his prison sentence, Timmons was ordered to pay restitution fees to the New York State Office of Victim Services. He was not fined.
Following the killing, prosecutors said Timmons worked with another man, Chad Nichols, to conceal Joseph’s body in Franklin County, New York. Timmons is the final individual to be sentenced in connection with the case. Kelly Timmons was previously sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted criminal sale of a firearm.
Nichols received a sentence of up to six years in prison after pleading guilty to helping hide Joseph’s body.
Another individual, Daryl Perkins, 48, of Plattsburgh, was sentenced earlier this month to 7.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to weapons and drug possession charges. Authorities said Perkins had been in possession of the handgun used in the killing.
The defense has indicated plans to file an appeal. Prosecutors acknowledged that an appeal is likely but cautioned that the process could take considerable time.
