Tragic Legacy of a 1994 Crime Continues Through Legal Battles

BATTLE CREEK, Michigan — For the third time, Calhoun County Judge Sarah Lincoln has ruled that Jason Symonds life without parole sentence should stand for the brutal beating, raping and killing of five-year-old Nicole VanNoty in 1994.

The decision follows an appeal made by Symonds in 2025 and will likely be reviewed by the Michigan Court of Appeals. Symonds will have the option to file another appeal with the Michigan Supreme Court if the sentence is upheld again.

When I first heard it the judges most recent ruling, I felt like weight was lifted off of me, Nicole VanNotys mother Robin Buonodono said. But I do know that he has as many appeals as he wants.

Buonodono says she is tired of seeking justice for her daughter, which is what she has had to do for the last 30 years.

A Tragic Story of a Little Girl Lost

Symonds, 44, was sentenced as an adult to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1994 murder of Nicole VanNoty. He was 16 years old when he killed the little girl.

The case has been the subject of extensive coverage over the decades, with Symonds using every opportunity he has to try and get parole, according to Buonodono.

You know what you did. You admitted to what you did.....It does not make sense, she said.

The Legal Battle Through the Years

Symonds first attempt at freedom came after a 2016 United States Supreme Court ruling, which gave juvenile lifers the opportunity to be resentenced.

At that resentencing hearing in 2023, a psychologist testified Symonds had overcame his own trauma and was remorseful. However, Judge Lincoln ruled to keep Symonds sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Mr. Symonds outcome was prejudiced by a deficient performance of council, his attorney Alona Sharon argued in court.

Calhoun County Prosecutor David Gilbert explained that it is standard procedure for Symonds attorney to make the motion to have his life sentence changed.

Todays motion was saying, Well, the defense attorneys erred in June by not keeping this testimony out of one witness, then allowing and not bringing out testimony of the polygraph, Gilbert told reporters. And the court said that that was not ineffective.

Legal Errors Require Further Review

In November 2025, the Michigan Court of Appeals found Calhoun County Circuit Court made two errors when considering one of the five Miller factors that determine whether Symonds should be resentenced.

According to the Michigan Court of Appeals opinion, the circuit court said Symonds failure to take responsibility for his actions was an aggravating factor, and his past violent behavior shows that he cannot be rehabilitated.

The trial court erroneously considered Symonds unwillingness to fully accept responsibility as an aggravating factor when it should only have been considered under the fifth Miller factor as a mitigating factor, the appeals court said.

The circuit court also erroneously considered Symonds past in context with the fifth Miller factor, according to the appeals court ruling.

A Mother Never Gives Up

Buonodono says she wants Symonds to stay locked up forever. The fight continues through the legal system, with each appeal representing another chapter in this decades-long tragedy.

Since Symonds was convicted in 1995, he uses every opportunity he has to try and get parole, according to Buonodono.

Ive waited 31 years for this to go through, and the sad part is that we are not done yet, she said.

The Path Forward

Following Wednesdays hearing, it is now up to the Michigan Court of Appeals to decide whether to uphold Lincolns ruling. If Symonds sentence is upheld by the Court of Appeals, he could choose to file another appeal with the Michigan Supreme Court.

The case represents the ongoing legal complexities surrounding juvenile offenders convicted as adults, and the decades-long impact on the families left behind.