Former Charles City man charged in Elma murder

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A former Charles City resident has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after the remains of a missing New Hampton man were allegedly found at the accused person’s home in Elma.

The Howard County Sheriff’s Office posted a report on Friday regarding a search warrant that had been served at 808 Main St. in Elma on Nov. 20, 2022.

“During the course of the investigation, human remains were located on the property. The remains were sent to the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office and were determined to be that of Jonathan Esparza,” the Sheriff’s Office report said.

A charge of first-degree murder has been filed against Sayvonne Eugene Jordan, age 26, in relation to the investigation, the report said. Jordan’s current residence is listed as 808 Main St. in Elma, but he has listed his address as Charles City and Waterloo previously.

As of Friday evening, no documents had been filed in Howard County District Court regarding Jordan and the alleged murder charge.

Jordan was being held in Floyd County on an unrelated charge involving alleged parole violations in a drug possession case, and was transferred to the Howard County Jail where he is currently being held on a $1 million cash bond.

“This homicide investigation is still an ongoing, active investigation,” the Howard County Sheriff’s Office said. “More information will be released at a later date as it becomes available.

Esparza, age 30, was last seen leaving his residence in New Hampton to visit a friend’s house in Elma on Oct. 20, New Hampton authorities said.

After the search warrant was conducted in November, Jordan was charged with a controlled substance violation and failure to affix a drug stamp and arrested in mid-December, but he posted $5,000 bond on Dec. 20 and was released from jail.

Jordan had been arrested in Black Hawk County in April 2018 on a warrant out of Floyd County for allegedly possessing marijuana, methamphetamine, the prescription drugs Alprazolam and Cyclobenzaprine, $1,700 in cash and plastic baggies with scales during a traffic stop in Charles City in February 2018.

He was charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana, a Class D felony; possession with intent to deliver Alprazolam, an aggravated misdemeanor; possession of meth, a serious misdemeanor; and possession of a prescription drug without a prescription, a serious misdemeanor.

Over the course of the case, a warrant was issued several times for Jordan’s arrest for failure to appear in court at various stages of the legal process. Each time he paid a $5,000 bond and was released. Although trial was initially set for August 2018, the trial was continued (delayed) 26 times before finally being scheduled for August 2022.

Before that trial started, Jordan pleaded guilty to the charges of possession with intent to deliver Alprazolam and possession of methamphetamine, and was sentenced to two years in prison on the Alprazolam charge, suspended, and five days in jail on the meth charge and placed on one year probation.

Jordan allegedly failed to make contact with his probation officer and was arrested on Nov. 11 last year, and a probation revocation hearing was set for Dec. 20. Further allegations of violation of his probation were made when he was charged with the controlled substance violation in Howard County after the search of his home, and the probation revocation hearing was set for today (Tuesday), Jan. 17, in Floyd County District Court. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was arrested by a Floyd County deputy on Dec. 21 in Elma.

Jordan was previously convicted in 2016 in Floyd County of starting a fight with two friends against another man in a convenience store parking lot in Charles City, causing the victim to suffer a broken nose and broken eye socket. Jordan was charged with willful injury resulting in serious injury, a Class C felony, and pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of assault, a serious misdemeanor, and was given a deferred judgment, meaning if he met the requirements of a one-year probation the charge and the conviction would have been expunged from his public criminal record.

Jordan is also facing a charge of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana, second offense, in Bremer County, for an event that allegedly occurred Dec. 20 when Jordan was pulled over for operating a motor vehicle without a license plate. He was also charged with driving while barred.