North Iowa Man Charged with Murder, Drug Possession Gets Another Trial delay

A former Charles City resident, accused of killing a New Hampton man in Howard County, has been granted a continuance for drug charges stemming from the same investigation.

26-year-old Sayvonne Jordan is charged with first-degree murder, going armed with intent and abuse of a corpse, in the death of 30-year-old Jonathan Esparza on October 20, 2022. A search of Jordan’s Elma residence on November 30th located the human remains of Esparza as well as over 250 grams of marijuana. 

Jordan has pleaded not guilty to all charges and his murder trial is scheduled for August 7th in Howard County District Court. He was slated for a May 3rd trial on two felony drug charges, but this week, a continuance was granted and his drug trial was reset for September 6th.

Jordan is also scheduled for trial June 8th in Bremer County on charges of possession of marijuana and driving while barred from an arrest in December. 

He also faces probation revocation June 20th in Chickasaw County, where he was convicted November 4th for possession of marijuana; and June 23rd in Floyd County for his October 4th conviction on drug charges stemming from his arrest in Charles City five years ago.

Jordan is being held in the Howard County Jail in Cresco on a $1 million cash bond.