BLACKSBURG, Va. – 81-year-old Kenneth Jordan was reported missing from Heritage Hall on July 24, 2023. Three days later, Radford police found him dead on West Main Street.
“The two biggest questions I have is how did he get there because surely, he did not walk, and why did the Blacksburg Police Department wait until the following morning to put out a be on the lookout,” said Tommy Williams, cousin of Kenneth Jordan.
His family now feels they’ve been left with more questions than answers.
“He said one day he was going to leave, and he told me ‘When I do, I’m going to go live on the riverbank at the Lynchburg Foundry,’ he said I can do that,” said Joan Heslep, Jordan’s sister-in-law. “I had said more than once, this was going to haunt me until I found out what happened to Kenneth.”
She also said she told police where to look.
“I told them he said one day if he was going to leave,” said Heslep. “He was going to Lynchburg Foundry to live on the riverbank.”
10 News reached out to the Blacksburg police on the timing of the missing person report. We were told they were not taking any questions on the incident.
WSLS 10 also reached out to Heritage Hall on what their plan is to prevent another incident like this from happening and are still waiting to hear back.
For now, the family wants answers on how Jordan was able to get from Blacksburg to Radford.
“If there is someone out there that happens to give him a ride, please, please come forward just so we know who you are,” said Williams. “No hard feelings toward you whatsoever, just maybe some questions if you want to talk. Did he talk to you on the ride? If you gave him a ride please come forward.”