Former Charles City Resident Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of  New Hampton Man

A former Charles City resident, found guilty of killing a New Hampton man, has been sentenced to life in prison.

In early November, a Howard County jury found 27-year-old Sayvonne Jordan guilty of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of Jonathan Esparza on October 20, 2022. Esparza was reported missing a few weeks prior and his remains were later found during a search of Jordan’s Elma residence. 

Investigators believed that Jordan killed Esparza over drugs and chopped Esparza’s body with an ax before burning his remains in a fire pit outside of his home. 

Monday (12.18), in Howard County District Court, a judge overruled the defense motion for a new trial and then sentenced Jordan to life in prison with no chance for parole.

Jordan still faces a January 31st trial on drug trafficking charges, when over 250 grams of marijuana were also found during the search that discovered Esparza’s remains.