NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — For the first time, Norbert Carter's family is speaking out. Their son and his 7-month pregnant wife Mercedes were murdered last September by his brother-in-law, Jason Iverson.
This is a story News 5 has been following since it happened. Just this week, Iverson was sentenced to life in prison without parole for three counts of aggravated murder plus 8 to 12 years for felonious assault.
Scrolling through the happy memories gives Carter's family a sense of comfort as they navigate their lives now. The past seven months without Carter, 31, his wife Mercedes, 30, and their unborn child, Ava, have been difficult. His mother, Antoinette Turner, said what hurts the most is that it was family killing family.
"When someone is murdered, people say, 'Oh at least they caught him,'" said Turner. "I'm not going to say knowing who did it makes it better. I think I'd rather spend every day wondering, 'was it you?' rather than knowing who it was."
Mercedes's brother, Jason Iverson, pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder for the September 2023 shooting. Shortly before the shooting happened at Stafford Park in Maple Heights, Norbert's sister said Norbert and Mercedes had just dropped off a baby stroller at his mother-in-law's.
"That's all he wanted was a daughter and he was getting his daughter," said Tyler Carter, Norbert's sister. "He didn't get a chance."
Carter's dad, Ronzell Clayton, said Iverson was feuding with family, which ultimately led to the shooting at the park, but Clayton is still shocked a disagreement led to such awful events.
"At that particular moment, he was a monster because he actually chased Norbert down to kill him," Ronzell Clayton said. "There's no other way to put it. He's a monster to me."
This week, Iverson was sentenced to life in prison, but Turner wanted a harsher punishment.
"I would have preferred the death penalty," Turner added. "Regardless, if he sat on death row for 30 years, I would have preferred to hear that."
In memory of Carter, his family has created the Norbert Carter III scholarship for seniors this year at Warrensville Heights High School. While they continue to process their horrific losses, Iverson's sentencing gives them the start to some closure, but Turner wants Iverson to know one thing.
"As you [Iverson] spent the rest of your life behind bars, I want it to eat you from the inside out because you destroyed a legacy of greatness of Norbert and Mercedes and Ava Carter," Turner said.
Last year, News 5 spoke with Iverson's mother about the fatal shooting.
