Georgia Man Sentenced to Life Without Parole for 2021 Bat Killing, Attacks on Family

By Carol A. Gasser Moore |

NASHVILLE, Berrien County, Georgia – A Berrien County man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 25 years, after being convicted of murdering his uncle and brutally attacking his mother and brother with a baseball bat in a 2021 assault that shocked the south Georgia community.

Jared Dean Zisman, of Nashville, was found guilty on July 8 after a Berrien County jury deliberated for less than 45 minutes, prosecutors said. Chief Superior Court Judge Clayton Tomlinson handed down the sentence Wednesday.

Prosecutors said Zisman, now in his early 30s, called 911 after the attacks on July 24, 2021, telling dispatchers he had killed his family with a bat but “the job wasn’t done.” Evidence presented at trial showed that after Zisman attacked his uncle and mother, his brother wrestled the bat away and escaped.

Mark Pagan, Zisman’s uncle, died from blunt force trauma to the head, according to the autopsy report. Zisman’s mother survived the assault but was hospitalized for months. Prosecutors said she lost sight in her left eye and suffered broken arms while trying to defend herself in her sleep.

“The brutality of the crimes caused a visceral reaction in the community and to the jury,” District Attorney Chase L. Studstill said in a statement following sentencing.

Investigators obtained jailhouse communications from Zisman while he was in custody at the Berrien County Law Enforcement Center. In several recorded conversations, Zisman admitted he had “done the unthinkable” and that the attacks were premeditated, Studstill said.

Jurors also reviewed body camera footage from Nashville police officers that captured the aftermath of the crime scene.

During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors described Zisman as a man who “tried to destroy his entire family,” urging the court to impose the harshest sentence.

“This sentence reflects the vile, vicious, and inhumane way he treated his family,” Studstill said.

The case was prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Allen Lawson and Assistant District Attorney Michelle Avis. Studstill praised his team and local law enforcement for their work.

“We have had four murder convictions in less than 12 months in Berrien County,” Studstill said, calling it a testament to his office’s efforts to keep the community safe.

Zisman’s defense attorneys did not immediately return requests for comment.

No additional appeals have been filed as of Thursday, according to court records.