An Elmira man who admitted fatally shooting another man last summer will spend 20 years in prison.
Chemung County Judge Ottavio Campanella imposed the agreed-upon sentence May 9 on Marcus A. Jones-Snyder, 28, who was originally charged with murder in connection with the June 20 shooting death of 21-year-old Zachary T. Vanhorn, also of Elmira.
Elmira police initially received a report of a gunshot victim on the 400 block of Grove Street around 5 p.m. June 20, 2024. Emergency personnel located Vanhorn at 417 Grove St. with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead at the facility.
An investigation by Elmira police, with assistance from the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, West Elmira Police Department and the New York State Police, led them to Jones-Snyder as the primary suspect.
In August of last year, a Chemung County grand jury indicted Jones-Snyder for second-degree murder and three weapons charges, alleging he caused Van Horn’s death by shooting him in the chest with a pistol. A motive for the killing was not revealed.
On Feb. 28, Jones-Snyder pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, with the recommendation of 20 years in prison and 2-and-a-half years of post-release supervision.
Before imposing the sentence, Campanella heard from the victim’s mother, Amy Vanhorn, and his sister, Nicole Vanhorn.
“What you did was a coward move. What you took from all of us is wrong, in so many ways, and we’ll never get to see my son again,” Amy Vanhorn said to Jones-Snyder.
“The day you took my brother’s life was the worst day of my life. Zachary wasn’t just my baby brother, he was my best friend,” Nicole Vanhorn added. “Life will never be the same without him, because you took the coward way out.”
Chemung County District Attorney Weeden Wetmore told the court Jones-Snyder has never expressed remorse for what he did.
“He claims that he’s sad the victim is deceased,” Wetmore said. “I think he’s more sad about the predicament he finds himself in.”
Defense attorney Hanna Renna informed the court Jones-Snyder did not wish to make a statement before sentence was pronounced.
Jones-Snyder has been in custody at the Chemung County Jail since his arrest.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: ‘Worst day of my life’: Elmira man sentenced in shooting death of Zachary Vanhorn
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
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