Statement of Jordan DeMay’s parents, Jennifer Buta and John DeMay, May 3, 2023:
My name is Jennifer Buta. I am Jordan DeMay’s mom. I am here today with Jordan’s dad John, his step‐mom Jessica, and his step‐dad Chuck. As a family we’ve waited for a moment to speak to everyone about Jordan. The last year without Jordan has seemed to pass by so quickly and yet it was the longest 13 months of our lives. Our hearts will forever be broken with a huge part of our lives missing.
Jordan was a son, a brother, a grandson, a friend, a student, a co‐worker and a role model. He was the perfect mix of fun‐loving and hard‐working. He played hard, he loved hard, and he never held back. If you caught Jordan on a summer day, he’d likely be cruising in his car with the music up, taking in as much sun as he could at the beach and dancing without a care in the world.
Jordan’s smile could light up any room. Jordan’s charm and beautiful smile were contagious, drawing people to him wherever he went and leaving a lasting impression on everyone he met. He wanted to connect and be everyone’s friend and he did just that.
As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what Jordan went through that night and how scared he was because of this senseless act.
When we were informed that Jordan was potentially a victim of an internet scam called sextortion via Instagram, there was never a hesitation in our minds to share his story. We wanted everyone to be aware about sextortion and have those tough conversations with their families so if it did happen to them they knew to talk to someone.
Immediately, many families reached out to support us as their family went through this. We received countless messages from families afterwards that their child was being pursued online, and because we shared Jordan’s story, those children went to their parents for help.
We want to thank our family, our friends, our community and the many people near and far who have been there for us throughout this unimaginable time. We are humbled by the overwhelming support you have given to our families. We have so much love for all of you.
We are here today because of the outstanding efforts by multiple agencies that worked together on Jordan’s case over the last year.
We want to express our gratitude to the Marquette Country Sheriff’s Department, the Michigan State Police, Marquette Township Fire Department, Marquette City Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice. We also want to thank the Nigerian Government and their law enforcement for their cooperation.
We know that this was no small task and your commitment to Jordan’s case will make us forever grateful. Each and every person who touched this case needs to be commended for their dedication and resiliency that got us where we are today.
Our focus going forward is to bring more awareness to children, young adults and parents. Our family has forever been changed by this heinous crime and our objective is to prevent another individual from being victimized. Kids, teenagers, young adults and even adults can be a target of sextortion. We urge you to have discussions about this and have a plan for your children to reach out if it does happen to them.
Jordan will never be forgotten. He will forever be in our hearts and will drive us forward to share his story and help others.
