April 27, 2022
Article provided by Pickerington Police Department
The Pickerington Police Department is very proud of our detectives for all of their hard work, the long hours they put in and the dedication they displayed throughout the investigation of the murder of James Palmer III. Mr. Palmer, 21 years old, was murdered on the evening of January 2, 2022, in the area of Hill Rd. North/SR-256 and Meadows Blvd.
Image from
Central Ohio Crime Stoppers
All of the detectives’ hard work resulted in Mr. Avonte Sanford, 21 years old, being indicted for the murder of Mr. Palmer III by the Fairfield County Grand Jury on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Mr. Sanford was indicted on two counts of Aggravated Murder, two counts of Murder and one count of Having Weapons While Under Disability. Mr. Sanford is currently being held at the Franklin County Jail on additional, unrelated homicide charges. His bond through Fairfield County Common Pleas Court has been set at $5 Million.
We hope this will be the first step in bringing closure to the family and friends of Mr. Palmer. Both Mr. Palmer and Mr. Sanford were residents of Columbus, Ohio.
For more information on the death of James “JP” Palmer III including how to help his family, please click here.
