The prosecution has filed to dismiss drug charges against a former Charles City resident convicted of murdering a New Hampton man.
In November, a Howard County jury found 27-year-old Sayvonne Jordan guilty of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the October 2022 death of Jonathan Esparza, whose remains were later found in Jordan’s Elma residence. Investigators believed Jordan killed Esparza over drugs and then chopped Esparza’s body with an ax before burning his remains in a fire pit outside of Jordan’s home.Â
On December 18th, Jordan was sentenced to life in prison. Two days later, his defense counsel filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Iowa from the judgment and sentence entered in the case. No court proceedings on that appeal have been set.
Jordan still has a trial scheduled for January 31st on drug trafficking charges after over 250 grams of marijuana allegedly found during the same search that discovered Esparza’s remains.Â
However, on Wednesday, Howard County Attorney Kevin Schoerbel filed to dismiss the drug charges in the furtherance of justice and noting that Jordan’s murder conviction comes with no possibility of parole.
