Brian Joseph Carey was sentenced to 35 to 70 years in state prison on Friday, March 8, 2024, for killing his 77-year-old stepfather in his stepfather’s Bristol Township home two years ago.

Appearing before Common Pleas Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr., Carey, 43, entered guilty pleas to third-degree murder, robbery, stalking, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of theft by unlawful taking and four counts of possession of an instrument of crime. 

Carey killed Joseph Michael Jakimowicz on Feb. 14, 2022, and was arrested following an investigation by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Bristol Township Police Department. 

Jakimowicz, a veteran and former corrections officer, was a “beacon of hope” and a “guiding light,” in the life of his family, according to his granddaughter, one of many to testify about the impact of the murder. The grieving family and friends had many wonderful things to say about Jakimowicz, a fun-loving and fatherly figure to all, including the friends of his children.

Using words like “monster” to describe Carey, they asked the judge to hand down the maximum sentence allowed by law for brutally murdering a stepfather who took him in as a child and at various other times as an adult when he had lost his way and had nowhere else to go. 

At Friday's hearing, evidence was presented that indicated Carey was upset with his stepfather about his mother's inheritance, which he felt should have been his.

In a phone call, weeks after killing his stepfather, Carey claimed he was “the real victim” because of the perceived lost inheritance, a statement First Assistant District Attorney Edward Louka said clearly shows Carey has no remorse. Additionally, Carey submitted a lengthy letter the day before the sentencing, which Louka described as “26 pages of justifying his actions.”

Bateman agreed that Carey needed a sentence of total confinement, handing down a sentence of 35 to 70 years in state prison on the counts of third-degree murder, possession of an instrument of crime, robbery, theft, and stalking. 

This investigation began on Feb. 15, 2022, after Bristol Township Police were dispatched to a home in the 700 block of Winder Drive at 7:15 p.m. Upon arrival, police found the victim deceased inside. 

The Bucks County Coroner’s Office determined Jakimowicz died of multiple sharp forced injuries and ruled his death a homicide. At Friday's hearing, Louka said the victim was stabbed a total of 10 times with wounds to the face, head and chest, and defensive injuries to his forearms. One of the stab wounds went seven inches into the victim's chest, Louka said. 

As the investigation progressed, Detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Bristol Township Police Department learned from relatives that Jakimowicz had been having ongoing problems with his estranged stepson, Brian Carey, who had been sending him threatening text messages and voicemails, causing Jakimowicz to lock his doors for his safety. 

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from Feb. 14, 2022, which showed a person getting off a SEPTA bus at Route 413 and Winder Drive and walking to the victim’s home. The person was also carrying a blue backpack with a circular white emblem.

The surveillance footage showed the person entering the victim’s home through the front door at 2:18 p.m. and leaving in the victim’s 2006 Chevy Trailblazer at 2:39 p.m.

The person in the video footage was later identified as Carey.

The victim’s vehicle was located in Philadelphia on Feb. 16, 2022, and Carey was found in a bar in Trumbauersville Borough.

When he was arrested, Carey was in possession of five knives of varying sizes and a large sum of money. Blood found on his clothes was tested through the Bensalem Police Department’s local DNA Database and found to be a match for Jakimowicz.

The homicide was investigated by Detectives with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Bristol Township Police Department, assisted by Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia Police Department. First Assistant District Attorney Edward Louka and Deputy District Attorney Carrie Worton prosecuted this case.

Media Contact: Manuel Gamiz Jr., 215.348.6298, mgamiz@buckscounty.org