[Update: 24-year-old Warehouse Worker Charged With Murder] Employee Found Dead at Jamis Bikes Headquarters

Oct 28, 2021
by Alicia Leggett  


Update 10/28/2021: A 24-year-old warehouse worker has been arrested on charges of murder, weapon possession, and hindering his own arrest, Bicycle Retailer reported today. Christian V. Giron was a co-worker of Jeanette Willem at Jamis. Prosecutors say Giron used a hammer as his weapon and stole Willem's credit cards as well as a company credit card, drove home and changed his clothes and then returned to the office where he called 911. They say he confessed to the crimes at the Northvale police department soon after.

Willem's brother has launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist with the family's memorial and travel costs.


Jamis Bikes announced today that a suspect has been taken into custody in the murder investigation following an employee's death. The body was discovered early this morning at Jamis' headquarters in Northvale, NJ.

The victim, Jeanette Willem, was a Jamis employee for 20 years and a beloved wife, mother, and friend in the bike community, Jamis said in a press release. "We are devastated," the brand wrote.

Jamis has also requested that the privacy of Willem's friends and family be respected. The company's offices will be closed until November 1.

The Bergen County's Major Crimes unit and the Northvale Police Department continue to investigate the incident. They believe that the suspect taken into custody was the only individual involved in the killing, Bicycle Retailer reported.

We will update this story as more information becomes available.

Our sincere condolences from Pinkbike to everyone affected by this tragic, senseless act.

Posted In:
Industry News


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254 Comments

  • 558 280
 So why report if they want to give the family privacy? Media companies are f*cking trash
  • 154 297
flag SpecSRAM (Oct 27, 2021 at 13:41) (Below Threshold)
 So...if media companies are "f*cking trash", why are you here?
  • 96 22
 I get makripper’s point. Maybe they shouldn’t have reported on this if that’s what the family wants.
  • 326 17
 Pinkbike is reporting news related to the bike industry; that’s kind of its role. However, we maybe didn’t need a name and photo of the victim...

Tragic story,,,,☹️
  • 289 51
 Respecting their privacy means don't f*cking phone/email/otherwise contact jeanette's friends and family. How stupid are you that you don't know what that meant ?!
  • 177 6
 You expect news outlets to not report a murder? A murder is always going to be newsworthy. How would you feel if there was a murder in your town and the media didn't bother to report it? When they ask that privacy be respected they mean to leave the family and friends alone, don't reach out to them, etc. Has nothing to do with reporting the murder itself.
  • 9 5
 @SpecSRAM: To say the media can be trash?
  • 23 0
 @Dtwillow: We had an email sent to us from Jamis with her photo and name!
  • 9 41
flag taskmgr (Oct 27, 2021 at 14:17) (Below Threshold)
 @Dtwillow: I got super pissed about it but yes that would have been fair instead of doxxing the victim then turning around and saying they want privacy?
  • 50 19
 @Dtwillow: Is this really "bike industry news"? If an Apple employee was killed would that be considered tech industry news? It's likely something total unrelated to bikes that unfortunately happened at her place of employment. Not sure why it's being blasted out to the media like this.
  • 58 5
 @makripper: Reporting someone's name with a picture is "doxxing?

And your completely misconstruing what they mean when they say they want privacy. It does not mean they want to keep the murder a secret, it just means they don't want to be contacted about it.
  • 32 1
 "Jamis Bikes announced today"
  • 15 41
flag sherbet (Oct 27, 2021 at 14:42) (Below Threshold)
 @sino428: In a literal sense, yes, that's what doxxing is.

If you put someone's information up on a site as large as this, they are going to be contacted about it. The respectful thing to do is report the information currently available and leave all personal details out until further notice. Everyone's acting incredulously over Mak pointing this out, but that would have been the most respectful way.

To the family; I'm so incredibly sorry. I wish you all the best moving forward, and hope that you're able to find closure in the coming months. Rest in peace.
  • 53 1
 @sherbet: Reporting the name of someone who was murdered is not "doxxing", not even in the most literal sense. They didn't post the person or their families contact info, any personal info, etc. They reported the most basic information they possibly could, which is the person's name, and they got the victim's name from a press release provide by Jamis.
  • 14 3
 @deeeight: You get the main point.
Better to know which family's privacy to respect than keep it ambiguous and have a bunch of ass hats asking everyone they know at Jamis who died and how, in a time when many are grieving.

This person, their family, and their friends all deserve the utmost respect and sympathy in this difficult time.

Rest in Power Jeanette.
  • 4 42
flag sherbet (Oct 27, 2021 at 14:59) (Below Threshold)
 @sino428: Larger social media websites, such as Reddit, count that as doxxing. This is textbook doxxing, with the exception being public figures.

Hope that clears it up.
  • 34 16
 @sherbet:

REddit is f*cked. What they consider doxxing has no semblence to legal reality. They're fine with right-wing organisers of attempted coups in washington DC using their platform perfectly ok but they consider a press release of a murder victim's name and photo as doxxing ? Really ? If you believe that's the definition of doxxing then you're as stupid as makripper is.
  • 2 14
flag djyosh (Oct 27, 2021 at 15:11) (Below Threshold)
 @kilz: Yeah - I fault Jamis. Why would they announce such a thing? Let the police investigate - no need to put her name out there, that is for the family to do, if they so choose.
  • 3 3
 @bull-dozer: Yes it is. Same as is the guilty please and 2 year sentence for the vehicular hit and run of a longtime bike industry member in 2019.

www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2021/10/24/driver-pleads-guilty-and-sentenced-bernstein-hit-and-run
  • 17 2
 @djyosh: Same reason any employer announces a death of an employee and crime on their property. Same as schoolboards announcing school shootings. The public has a right to know when/where crimes have occurred. If Jamis hasn't released the information then its likely the police department in that town would have instead. They're going to want folks with possible information pertinent to their investigation to get in contact with them.
  • 29 0
 @bull-dozer:

If I were a betting man, I would absolutely bet that if an Apple employee was murdered IN Apple headquarters, you would see it all over Tech industry news outlets…
  • 4 2
 I agree, perhaps if pb added a like/dislike button on articles it'd be easier for pb overlord to know our preferences... Come on outside++, think of the data!
  • 7 25
flag sherbet (Oct 27, 2021 at 15:27) (Below Threshold)
 @deeeight: We can get stuck on my definition of doxxing as much as we want. The point is, if the family is asking specifically for privacy, putting their personal info on a large website isn't a cool move.
  • 1 22
flag djyosh (Oct 27, 2021 at 15:27) (Below Threshold)
 @deeeight: Sure, but you usually see the police withholding names until the next of kin have been notified. Here is Jamis just completely ignoring that kind of decency - at least that is what it would appear like. And you can ruin an investigation by disseminating too much information.
  • 46 3
 @djyosh: You've got zero experience dealing with death apparently. But here's a news flash for you... if someone at your work place has died...the absolute last thing you want to have happen days, weeks, months later is be the one who answers the phone when someone who doesn't know they've died, calls and asks to speak to them and then having to inform them that they've died. As someone who has had to inform other friends when a mutual friend has died unexpectedly, that is NOT a task I look forward to doing again. I've had to do it twice in my life so far. Once for a friend who committed suicide and once for a friend who had a fatal heart attack. Jamis putting out a brief press release spares all their other employees from having to provide those explanations to people in the future.
  • 6 36
flag taskmgr (Oct 27, 2021 at 15:42) (Below Threshold)
 @sino428: their name is literally personal searchable info as well as where they work. You don't understand what doxxing means.

The point is this article is disgusting and in bad taste.

Rip and I can't even imagine what her family is going through
  • 15 0
 @djyosh: I highly doubt Jamis releases anything before next of kin were notified - there is nothing here to suggest they did.
  • 25 1
 Should the media never report on anything if the subject doesn't want it reported on?

I can name a few "politicians" and business execs that would LOVE a media operation like that.
  • 6 0
 @deeeight: exactly, just this morning there was a fatal car crash in our town, by mid-afternoon the police had released a statement with the names, ages, town of residence and vehicle driven of each person involved.
  • 21 0
 As someone who actually had a murder in the family, I unfortunately know all to well the media frenzy that descends, jostling to get 'the scoop'. There are no winners here. Pinkbike reporting on this, does not infringe upon the family's privacy one bit.
  • 33 2
 Amazing the lengths people go to to get offended.

Jamis sent out a press release with this info, so f*** off of Pinkbike about publishing it. Regardless of whether you can technically leverage a definition of “doxing” to fit, comparing accurate reporting of a murder to maliciously publishing personal info to hurt someone is muppet yammering of the highest order. And the next of kin shit is just openly invented out of whole cloth.
  • 16 0
 Jamis sent out a release because word of this will leak out one way or another, and this is a way for the company to report what happened truthfully, show it has nothing to hide and keep it from becoming a speculative circus and free for all. They can use the opportunity to announce the wish to give this family privacy. As for Pinkbike’s part, it’s reporting industry news, which is responsible journalism within the framework of this release. Someone asked if someone was murdered at Apple HQ if the tech media would report it. The answer is yes. Yes they would.
  • 7 1
 @Blackhat: the OP has a habit of spouting off with his keyboard.
  • 8 18
flag endoguru (Oct 27, 2021 at 19:18) (Below Threshold)
 @deeeight: 100% correct on your observations. My older brother died 2 years ago and Facebook continues to send out messages to wish “your friend a happy birthday”, even though I contacted them and informed them he was no longer alive. The news (and social) media is pathetic. Would Pinkbike pre-Outdoor life have reported this in this manner? I don’t know, but Pinkbike is becoming more TMZ like since the sale. I used to very much enjoy Pinkbike’s content and style, but am quickly becoming disinterested in most of the content.
  • 3 30
flag nickfranko (Oct 27, 2021 at 19:24) (Below Threshold)
 @sino428: How would you feel if your family was murdered and a for-profit company comes in and slaps the name and face all over the news to make a quick buck because it's "nEwSwOrThY"?
Quite frankly, the media shouldn't be reporting this, it should be the police.
  • 3 11
flag SterlingArcher (Oct 27, 2021 at 19:24) (Below Threshold)
 @deeeight: get a job
  • 13 0
 @nickfranko: who would the police report it to?…..the media and the media disperses that information, that’s how the system works. Police set up a press conference and the media covers it.
  • 8 0
 @nickfranko: I would not have a problem at all with how this has been reported. I live in NJ and have seen this along with all the other local news reporting. There is nothing wrong with any of it.
  • 12 1
 Geez Canada is fired up today.
  • 9 14
flag jaame (Oct 27, 2021 at 23:15) (Below Threshold)
 PB is English language worldwide. This information isn’t about bikes. It’s specific to a specific individual who happened to work in a bike company who wasn’t bike-famous.
Personally I would not have run this article.
  • 12 1
 @makripper: Jamis got the family's blessing to include her name and pic with the email. simmer down, chap.
  • 16 0
 @nickfranko: the media reported on a crime? How dare they!
  • 10 0
 I think the idea here is that this is a real person with a real family. She has a face. We should not forget that. Turning tragedies into statistics dehumanizes us. Respect the families privacy, but empathize as well.
  • 1 0
 @sino428:
  • 2 0
 Sometimes their intentions ("trash" or not) can be taken by someone who has a good heart to do something for the family of the victim, to contact the authorities to offer help. If they normally avoid the true trash news and they are mountain bikers, this would have been their only way to have found out. God bless you and the family's victim...
  • 9 0
 Maybe the family does want people to know the name and story of their loved one, so that she can be remembered and appreciated - but they dont want you calling them up or stopping by their house.
  • 9 10
 @SterlingArcher: You should have seen the outrage on the CBC news comments after our federal government picked a KNOWN environmentalist to be the new minister for the environment, instead of someone who's in the back pocket of the oil industry.
  • 3 1
 @deeeight: almost like there is a middle ground there.....hmmmmm
  • 110 9
 It's called reporting the news. I know we're just a bike website, but we do have to cover cycling news, including this type of stuff. Also, Jamis literally sent out a press release. Trust me, we don't want to be reporting on murders, just like we don't want to be reporting on doping, but it is absolutely the right thing to do.
  • 10 0
 @mikelevy: 100%.
  • 3 8
flag bulletbassman (Oct 28, 2021 at 18:30) (Below Threshold)
 @mikelevy: in this case absolutely. I think we could all go without the “usergroup confrontation in whatever trail system” stories however. If it doesn’t involve the bike industry and it’s personel then that’s a slippery slope between reporting worthwhile news and buzzfeed clickbait.
  • 2 4
 @deeeight: get a job
  • 1 0
 @usedbikestuff: you need more upvotes.
  • 3 0
 @dllawson819: this Outside paywall fee really needs to be increased hahaha
  • 5 0
 @bull-dozer: of course this is "bike industry news" Come on! The "bike industry" is more than trails, riding and parts! The bike industry is factories, sales, relationships! Jeanette worked in this INDUSTRY for 20 years and made a lot of relationships with dealers, vendor and sales people. And those people have a right to know what happened to her! The bike industry is so much more than you know. ts being blasted out to the media to let the people that interacted with her know!
  • 2 0
 What a dumb take. Jamis literally sent out a press release. "Respect their privacy" means don't call/email/text, not "ignore a murder".
  • 2 1
 ...if it bleeds, it leads.
  • 2 2
 @ChrisNJ: like your… oh wait
  • 76 2
 This is awful. Rest in Power Jeanette.
  • 67 3
 This is being reported on NY/NJ news channels today...including video shot outside the building and well... anyone who may have ever visited Jamis will have recognised the building exterior (and the address) and thus the need for a press release from Jamis saying it was one of their employees. This also lets all Jamis dealers/distributors/reps who may have known her, or had dealings with her to know she's died, and thus avoid the problems that happen when someone in the future might phone and ask to speak to her, thinking she's still alive.
  • 55 3
 Yea I don't understand where people are getting this idea that releasing the name of a murder victim is someone wrong or poor reporting. This is pretty standard for all the reasons you mentioned. Same with the whole "privacy" thing. Amazes me how people don't understand that this just means the family simply doesn't want to be contacted about it right now.
  • 21 11
 @sino428: Generation Stupid.
  • 4 33
flag jaame (Oct 27, 2021 at 23:16) (Below Threshold)
 @sino428: this isn’t a current affairs trash site. It’s a bike site, and this isn’t about bikes - that’s why! I don’t find the article offensive, but I do think it’s irrelevant and kind of OTT.
  • 5 4
 @deeeight: what or who is your comment referring to?
  • 13 0
 @jaame: I don’t really have an issue with it. This happened at a large bike brand’s headquarters causing that company to shut down for 5 days. I would say it has some relevance to bikes and the bike industry.
  • 3 1
 @jaame: it’s a good thing you don’t run this site then senor presumptuous.
  • 1 15
flag jaame (Oct 28, 2021 at 10:54) (Below Threshold)
 @SterlingArcher: It's good for you yes, because I'd give you the boot.
  • 3 5
 @jaame: murder filter please
  • 2 2
 @jaame: LOL
  • 1 0
 @littleskull99: do I sense a bit of remorse and self guilt? It’s ok guys, maybe in your next life version 2.0 will be improved, without the tyranny of consciousness Wink
  • 55 1
 My sincerest condolences to the family. Rest in peace to the victim.

P. S. The tragic death of an industry veteran deserves respectful reporting and respectful (if any) commenting. If you are not able to be write something nice and respectful, even in such a moment, go take your anger somewhere else.
  • 32 0
 Absolutely tragic news. My condolences to Jamis employees and Jeanette's loved ones. May her life and contribution as a mtb community member can be celebrated by all. and may the scumbag who did this be brought to justice.
  • 45 17
 Always nice to see the spirit of a story shit on by people willing to be offended by everything. Condolences to her family and friends, and here's to hoping the murderer is sentenced to death..... oh, I'm sure that will make some of you cry out loud and ask to be held.
  • 13 18
flag cmi85 (Oct 27, 2021 at 23:24) (Below Threshold)
 Calm down
  • 3 1
 Also it’s unclear what people are truly offended by in stories like this. Denial, deflection, and self guilt perhaps… LOL.
I love the internet. Where people show their true colors and don’t realize it.
  • 28 0
 No calling out. or arguing, let's just band together and let this family know that we are sorry for their loss. All the personal opinions, politics, PB trolling aside, this is a huge loss and needs support from our MTB community.
  • 12 0
 Condolences to the family. There was a time this news would be relevant because the MTB crowd was a pretty tight-knit community. Sorry for the people that take tragedy as an opportunity to grind their own personal axes. Frown
  • 9 0
 What a shame when a life is worth an attempt at credit card info for several hours before turning themselves in. There must have been some sort of mental health issue and it's a shame it wasn't recognized or dealt with. There can be no other explanation for such a senseless act.
  • 12 0
 Happened in Northvale NJ, not Seattle.
  • 12 0
 Horrible tragedy. Deepest condoleneces to the family, friends and Jamis.
  • 5 0
 HI, first time in these comment boards. I sent the news article from a NJ website that first reported on it to Bicycle Retailer. Thought they should know since this is a small industry where people have long standing personal relationships. I guess blame me for sending the article to Bicycle Retailer???
  • 3 1
 No, you did the right thing. People claiming to care about the family’s privacy are BSing - they’re really just being selfish and opinionated. It’s some weird manifestation of remorse, shame, self guilt. Makes me laugh really really hard at these idiots
  • 6 0
 RIP good lady and peace to your friends and family. And to hell with the sh#thead that took your life.
  • 4 0
 What is this world coming to? I am really disappointed to see so many people arguing like children over a tragic incident like this. Rest in peace, condolences to the family Frown
  • 4 0
 Sometimes you shouldn’t type and be suspected of being an idiot rather than start punching the keyboard and remove all doubt
  • 2 1
 Read a news article. They don't state whether or not he's a company employee, despite being a warehouse worker. Might just be missing info, but any HR people skipping very basic background checks need to be VERY fucking careful playing with fire like that. My previous job had an incident hiring a mentally unwell person... Quick google search of their name brought up felony charges, jail stint, crimes involving violence. I was furious at management. Glad to have left that job. Also, this person was noticeably, visibly mentally unstable. Us employees brought this up to management multiple times. Nothing was done. Then he nearly attacked front office with an improvised weapon. And the company had to hire front door security for a while after that. This story does not fall in line with a standard criminal. If you wanted to steal, and you're a warehouse worker, probably countless ways to do that. Without violence. This is an unstable person. Hopefully it wasn't a sudden and unexpected thing due to a tumor.
  • 1 8
flag SterlingArcher (Oct 28, 2021 at 20:57) (Below Threshold)
 It was an employee LOL
  • 4 0
 Condolences, what a painful loss...
  • 3 0
 WHAT Eek This is crazy!!! My condolences go out to her and her family. Such sad news
  • 4 0
 Everything about this is horrible. RIP
  • 1 0
 Willems brother has also set up a go fund me page to assist in the families expenses, maybe we should all dig deep and contribute to that rather than bitching about why it should / shouldn't be reported.
  • 3 0
 Wtf, a hammer, Jesus christ.
  • 1 1
 Wow this denial of real life events from the in house trolls is truly eye opening. What do you all think their real issue is? Self guilt, remorse, shame? Let’s list all the reasons! Haha
  • 1 1
 If you wonder why Outside Magazine decided to post this story, just take a gander at the number of views this story has received. They may not be very ethical, but they clearly have the business side down pat.
  • 1 0
 Keep posting! It’s only upping those views and comment numbers. Go ahead, respond. Let’s keep increasing em!!
  • 3 1
 R.I.P. Thoughts and prayers to friends and family
  • 2 0
 My condolences. Love to here family and friends
  • 2 0
 Condoleance to the family and friend. Support to the colleagues at Jamis.
  • 3 0
 This is awful.
  • 3 0
 Gave me good bumps while reading the update.
  • 1 0
 *goose
  • 2 0
 Horrible news, condolences to the family, friends and coworkers.
  • 1 2
 THis new society filled with crazy people that kill others AND news hungry addicted to sensationalism mass. This world lost its intimacy and privacy...but most blindly wont more
  • 2 0
 Rest in Peace
  • 1 0
 A f*cking hammer? Jesus Christ man. Horrible.
  • 1 0
 My condolences to her family and her friends/family at Jamis.
  • 1 0
 Dreadful. Sorry for that community.
  • 1 1
 The killer must have a hidden rap sheet somewhere. You just don't start off with murder.
  • 1 0
 Update it with a picture of the scumbag murderer
  • 1 0
 Shocking. RIP
  • 1 0
 crazy
  • 1 0
 uhhhhhh
  • 4 5
 I think pink bike should donate some cash to help this family out . Who’s with me on this
  • 1 12
flag sanchofula (Oct 29, 2021 at 21:36) (Below Threshold)
 That would be a nice gesture to help make up for what a cluster they created. But I think a grander gesture would be to apologize and pull this entire sensationalist article.
  • 4 1
 @nurseben: all you do is complain lol
  • 1 2
 @SterlingArcher: is there a better way to promote change on a social media app?
  • 2 0
 @nurseben: ah shuddup
  • 1 0
 insane
  • 9 12
 What in the actual fuck! People need to get their heads out of their asses. Murder is dumb!
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