Jennifer Parks

4 years and a day after her murder James Zarate was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and dismemberment of 16-year-old Jennifer Parks. Zarate helped his older brother JOnathan, who was also convicted and sentenced to life, in killing Jennifer, dismembering her body and tryoing to dispose of it by throwing her into the Pasaic River.

Before sentencing Zarate tried giving a sob story of how rough he had it growing up but luckily the jury didn’t buy it.

Zarate has to serve at least 76 years before he’s eligible for parole. That would make him 94.
Let’s hear from Jennifer’s family…

David Parks referred to Zarate only as ”it” or ”a jackal,” in his statement, while Laurie Parks called him ”pure evil.” David Parks said he wished the death penalty was available as punishment for the brothers.
”We can never forgive or forget what you did to our Jen,” Laurie Parks said.
”Jennifer’s life was worth so little to him but, for me, she was worth the world,” David Parks said.

And the prosecutor…

“For the rest of his life he’s going to live in a 12′ x 12′ prison cell for the vicious cold-blooded murder of a sweet trusting girl who couldn’t have imagined the evil intentions James and Jonathan Zarate planned to unleash the night she was lured over to their house,” Morris County Prosecutor Robert A Bianchi said following the sentencing hearing.

I wish I could say this was the end. However if history has taught me anything there will be appeals. Not successful ones mind you but there will be appeals.

Hopefully the Park family can rest a little bit now knowing that both of her daughter’s killers are in prison forever.