Young NY man with Asperger's found dead
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (PIX11) — The mother of a 20-year-old Poughkeepsie man with special needs who had gone missing on April 30 was mourning his loss Friday. Alicia McIver, known as Sharley, posted a message on her Facebook page that her son, Jordan Jones, was dead.
"It is with the greatest sadness that I inform you all that the perfect, precious soul that was my son Jordan "Jay" Jones was found deceased,” McIver wrote on Friday. “I was informed last night by the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department."
Detective Lt. Matthew Clark of the Poughkeepsie Police told the Daily Voice on Friday that Jones was identified by dental records. The newspaper said Jones' body was recovered from the Hudson River on May 13.
Jones, who had Asperger's syndrome — a condition on the autism spectrum — worked as an associate film editor at The Trolley Barn, a gallery space in Poughkeepsie.
His mother told PIX11 News she'd learned after her son disappeared that he'd been dealing with a recent romantic disappointment.
Jones was well-regarded by his peers, his mother said, and known for his creativity, his purposeful walk, and his distinctive voice.
“He has a very deep voice,” Jones' mom said. “My sister calls him Barry White,” a reference to the late singing icon.
Jones’ 21-year-old sister had told their mother she last saw Jay at home on Saturday night, April 30.
On May 1, Jones’ sister said she texted him and he didn’t respond, which wasn’t unusual. Then, at 7: 30 p.m., she became concerned and checked his room.
“She saw his phone on the desk and his wallet,” Jones’ mother said.
Regarding the phone, “He left it home and he wiped it,” the mother noted. “He reset it, so you couldn’t see any of the history.”
Jones’ mother managed to get the phone logs from Verizon since the two of them shared an account. The logs revealed Jordan Jones had spoken to an ex-girlfriend on Saturday. When the mother contacted her, the young woman said she told Jones she was dating somebody new. The mother said her son also belonged to an online “gaming” community, with his apps attached to his personal computer.
“The game was still on,” the mom said, "and his content was still open. He was active in chats.” The mother said she reached out to people in the gaming community, but his online friends said they hadn’t heard from him.
Alicia McIver told PIX11 News that her son was “not the type to share his feelings or explicitly show emotion.” But she said Jordan had a romantic heartbreak a couple of years ago.
McIver had organized numerous searches with family and friends in Poughkeepsie, which had expanded to other towns and cities like Peekskill, Newburgh and even Albany.
The Hudson Valley-based organization, Hope Alive 845, supported the mother's efforts and spoke on her behalf when Jordan Jones' death was first made public.
The mother thanked Hope Alive 845 on its Facebook page and said, "Jordan would be overwhelmed to know this much love was poured out for him. I'm sure he is feeling it in heaven with my mom and dad and our heavenly father."