Jermaine Williams Sentenced to Life

Rochester, NY- On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, Monroe County Court Judge Michael Dollinger sentenced 25-year-old Jermaine Williams to two concurrent Life sentences in the New York State Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole. He was previously convicted by a jury of two counts of Murder in the 1st Degree for the murder of Santina Jones and Timothy Chealey.

On May 6, 2024, at approximately 1:00AM, Rochester Police Officers responded to an address on Rialto Street for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, 43-year-old Timothy Chealey was found deceased on the porch. A second shooting victim, 46-year-old Shatina Jones, was located and immediately rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital, where she would later die from her injuries.

After a thorough investigation, Rochester Police Detectives determined that multiple individuals were involved in an altercation at a concert earlier in the evening. Jermaine Williams, who was involved in the earlier conflict, drove to the house on Rialto Street and opened-fire on the occupied porch, killing Timothy Chealey and Shatina Jones.

Following the homicides, Jermaine Williams fled Monroe County. He was apprehended in Niagara Falls by the U.S. Marshals Task Force and charged with the murders of Shatina Jones and Timothy Chealey.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Adam VanHeyst, Chief of the Non-Fatal Shooting Taskforce, and Special Assistant District Attorney Emily Chisholm.

“What began as a minor dispute was escalated by Jermaine Williams into a calculated and deadly act of retaliation that claimed two lives,” said Assistant District Attorney Adam VanHeyst. “This defendant made a deliberate decision to arm himself, travel to Rialto Street, and open fire on a porch full of people, killing Timothy Chealey and Shatina Jones without hesitation. Today’s sentence ensures that he will never have the opportunity to endanger this community again. This was a targeted, intentional act of violence, and the life sentence imposed reflects the severity of his actions and his complete disregard for human life. I want to again thank the Rochester Police Department for their relentless work in bringing this defendant to justice.”

“While no sentence can undo the immense loss suffered by the families of Shatina Jones and Timothy Chealey, today’s outcome ensures that the individual responsible for their murders will spend the rest of his life in prison,” said Monroe County District Attorney Brian Green. “This was a deliberate act of violence that took two lives and left an irreversible impact on their loved ones. Shatina Jones and Timothy Chealey were more than victims, they were family members, friends, and members of this community whose lives mattered.”