Lancaster Man Pleads Guilty in Adopted Son's Death

Lancaster resident Robert Jordan, 47, pleaded guilty Monday to infliction of great bodily injury upon a child in connection to the death of his disabled adopted son last fall.
He was sentenced to 20 years, suspended upon the active service of 14 years in prison, followed by five years of probation, said 6th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Lisa Collins.
Jordan was arrested Oct. 12 for the death of his 5-year-old adopted son, La'Marion Jordan. The boy died Sept. 4, 2015.
Jordan was in jail from Oct. 12 until April 14, when he bonded out.
He entered his plea June 13, but the judge requested a pre-sentencing investigation report from S.C. Probation and Parole. Jordan turned himself in, since he had pleaded guilty and remained in jail until the sentencing hearing Monday, July 25.
Jordan had no prior record and this appeared to be an isolated, but tragic incident, Collins said.
Jordan confessed to law enforcement that he flung La'Marion to the floor in reaction to the child scratching him on the face as he was getting him ready for school the morning of Sept. 4, 2015. As a result, La’Marion hit his head and began having seizures.
Jordan immediately called 911 and transported the child to Springs Memorial Hospital. The child was flown to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where he died later that day, Collins said.
"There did not appear to be any malice or pre-planning,” Collins said.
The original charge of homicide by child abuse does not require there be malice or pre-planning.
Even though the autopsy clearly revealed the child died from blunt force injury to his head, Jordan was allowed to plead guilty to infliction of great bodily injury upon a child, rather than homicide by child abuse because he had no prior record and this was an isolated incident, Collins said.
Homicide by child abuse carries a minimum prison sentence of 20 years.
Collins said other care givers and teachers reported that the home appeared to be a loving one and La'Marion had been well-cared for prior to this incident.
La'Marion was wheelchair-bound and had cerebral palsy, requiring a lot of care, Collins said. All reports indicated that Jordan took good care of the child up until this event.
"This was a tragic, one-moment lapse in judgment," Collins said. "He will pay a significant price for that."
Jordan was a single father to La’Marion, who had been in his care since he was an infant, and another adopted son, who was 7 years old at the time.
The other boy was not home at the time of the incident. That child is now in the care of the Department of Social Services.

7/29/16

Contact Mandy Catoe at (803) 283-1152