Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office secures guilty plea for the killing of Jazmine Chester

Posted on 6/21/2024

Defendant: Nachyla Halton

The Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office secured a guilty plea Thursday from Nachyla Halton, 20, for the killing of Jazmine Chester, 19, in May 2022. The Cleveland-area woman pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, with a three-year firearm specification.

Assistant prosecutors Mark Wodarcyk and Zach Imwalle prosecuted the case for the prosecutor’s office.
On May 27, 2022, Columbus police officers went to the Wedgewood Village Apartments on the west side of Columbus for a well-check visit to Chester, who had not been seen or heard from since May 19. They found her dead in her bedroom with a gunshot wound to her face.

Chester had been seen with Halton before her death. Halton left Columbus in the early morning of May 19 and returned to the Cleveland area.

Immediately following Halton’s guilty plea, Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Bill Sperlazza sentenced her to 14 to 19-1/2 years in prison, a term jointly recommended by the prosecution and Halton’s defense attorney.