It’s been 15 years, and still the suspect or suspects involved in the gruesome murder of 91-year-old Leola Jordan have yet to be positively identified.
Every so often the Picayune Police Department digs up their cold cases with the intention of allowing a fresh pair of eyes look over the evidence gathered the day the crime was reported.
In a previous story in the Item, now Assistant Chief Jeremy Magri, who was a patrol officer the day the crime occurred, said he was one of the first to respond to the call of a possible cardiac arrest victim that came in on June 30, 1998 just before noon.
When he arrived at 1204 Washington St., he found much more than a medical emergency; he walked into his first crime scene.
Previous Item coverage of the story stated that Jordan had died as a result of several stab wounds. A motive has yet to be established due to the lack of anything missing from the home; even the victim’s money was untouched.
A decade and a half later, the department has not gotten any closer to making an arrest. However, when a new detective starts with the department, they are tasked with reviewing the evidence collected back in 1998, which involves a stack of files so thick it overflows out of a three ring binder.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to solve this case,” Magri said in a follow up story in 2011.
Seeing this case solved before retirement is a career long goal for Magri and other officers with the department.
Due to the age and nature of this case, Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Information can be provided to the Picayune Police Department by calling 601-798-7411 or anonymously by calling 601-799-CLUE(2583).