James R. Jordan, Sr.
| James R. Jordan | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 31, 1936 |
| Died | July 23, 1993 (aged 56) Lumberton, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Father of Michael Jordan |
James Raymond Jordan, Sr. (July 31, 1936 – July 23, 1993) was the father of basketball legend Michael Jordan and Army Command Sergeant Major James R. Jordan, Jr., and the grandfather of University of Central Florida players Jeffrey Jordan and Marcus Jordan.
[edit] Biography
A life-long baseball fan, Jordan had played a large role in inspiring his son Michael to become an athlete. Jordan was a businessman and traveled the country to follow Michael's career, first at the University of North Carolina and then with the Chicago Bulls.[1] He was killed in a robbery near Lumberton, North Carolina.
While returning from a funeral eight days before his 57th birthday, Jordan pulled into a rest stop on Interstate 95 to take a nap. Daniel Green and Larry Martin Demery shot Jordan to death while he slept in his car and proceeded to steal the vehicle. His body was found on August 3 in a Bennettsville, South Carolina swamp, and was not positively identified until August 13.
Green and Demery made several calls from Jordan's cell phone and as a result were quickly captured. They had taken other items from the car including two NBA championship rings given to Jordan, Sr. by his son. Demery was wearing a Michael Jordan T-shirt at the time of his arrest. Demery claims that they had planned only to tie up their victim and that Green pulled the trigger for no reason. Both were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for this and other violent crimes.
In 2010, the case again got national attention after it was one of nearly 200 that are in review after the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation found that laboratory technicians mishandled or omitted evidence.[2]
James Jordan was buried at Rockfish AME Church in Teachey, North Carolina on August 15, 1993.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ NBA Encyclopedia (1996-03-01). "NBA Encyclopedia - Michael Jordan=2007-11-18". http://www.nba.com/history/players/jordan_bio.html.
- ^ Lab mistakes revive questions about murder of Jordan's father on USA Today
- ^ "James Jordan,shock and sadness follow shooting of Michael Jordan's father". Jet. 1993. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_n18_v84/ai_14330327.
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