Local man accused of attempting to murder his mother

By: 
Staff Writer Kate Wehlann

At about 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Deputy Paul Ginkins was racing to a home on East State Road 160. Dispatchers informed him a woman had been stabbed in the neck by her son, Jordan Humphrey, 29, Salem.

Ginkins arrived to find Jennifer Humphrey lying on the back on the floor between her kitchen and living room. Her son was lying beside her with his arms around her, as if holding or hugging her. Another man, Mark Humphrey, was straddling Jordan, leaning over Jennifer and applying pressure to the knife wound.

Ginkins saw what he called a black automatic/switchblade-style knife in his report in the living room, about six feet from Jennifer. Ginkins placed Jordan in handcuffs and seated him in a chair at the kitchen table.

Jennifer was taken by ambulance to Baptist Health Floyd Hospital where, as of Monday morning, she was in stable condition.

Ginkins took Jordan to St. Vincent-Salem Hospital to be medically cleared for a laceration to his left forearm. While en route, Ginkins said Jordan told him several times, “I just wanted to help her,” before she was “judged.”

“Jordan looked at me and stated, ‘you will be judged and I will be there,’” Ginkins said in his report.

Ginkins left Jordan at the hospital with Conservation Officer Neal Brewington and Washington County Chief Deputy Brad Shepherd while he went to New Albany to speak with Jennifer.

Brewington later told Ginkins that Jordan asked if his mother was OK, and said Jordan called himself “a piece of s***,” and said, “I deserve to be locked up.”

Jordan’s blood alcohol level test revealed an ACE of .274 and his urine test showed the presence of cannabinoids.

Ginkins said when he spoke with Mark and Jennifer Humphrey at the hospital, she was about to be sent to the University of Louisville Hospital Trauma Center due to possible nerve damage.

Jennifer told Ginkins she and Jordan were in the living room, talking about his drinking. She told her son he needed to cut down on his drinking and said she noticed something in the back of his shorts. She asked Jordan what it was and Jordan pulled out the knife and popped it open. Jennifer said she told Jordan that it was a weapon and it needed to be put in the safe with the guns. She said Jordan told her the knife was his and he wasn’t going to put it away.

Jennifer said they continued to argue about the alcohol, then Jordan sat down on the floor beside the chair she was sitting in. He patted her on the arm, she said, and told her how glad he was that she was his mother.

He got up and went into the kitchen and Jennifer said the next thing she knew, Jordan’s arm was around her neck and he stabbed her in the neck. She said Jordan was holding her down and she couldn’t get up. She said she fought with him and they fell on the floor. She managed to get the knife away from Jordan and threw it into the living room.

“Jennifer stated Jordan had gone to the back door to see where Mark was before Jordan attacked her so Mark could not hear the screams,” Ginkins report said.

However, Jennifer said she heard Mark come in the basement door and began kicking the floor and screaming for Mark. He came upstairs and was able to get Jordan away from her.

Mark said he came into the house and heard his wife upstairs. He went up to find his wife and son on the floor between the kitchen and living room. He rushed over and tried to see the blood and straddled Jordan, trying to find where the blood was coming from.

“Mark stated Jordan was lying beside Jennifer crying, telling her he was sorry, and kissing her head,” Ginkins said in his report.

Jordan was later brought to an interview room at the Washington County Detention Center, and said he wanted to speak with his lawyer before speaking to police.

Jordan stood before Judge Larry Medlock Monday afternoon for his initial hearing, where he was formally charged with attempted murder, a Level 1 felony, carrying a sentence of 20 to 40 years (with the advisory sentence being 30 years) and up to $10,000 in fines, and battery by means of a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony, which carries a sentence of between one and six years (with the advisory sentence being three years) and up to $10,000 in fines.

Jordan appeared to be fighting back tears as he stood before Medlock and could barely speak when asked if he understood his potential sentences. As the hearing ended, he looked as though he were about to burst into sobs.

Jordan Humphrey will be represented by a public defender and Medlock has entered a preliminary plea of not guilty. His preliminary trial date is July 7.

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