Jordan Middleton was a peaceful and hardworking 23-year-old man whose family described him as someone who never wanted to fight. On July 27, 2023, the young White man was riding his motorcycle in Glendale, Arizona, when a confrontation on the road ended his life.
The incident began as a suspected road rage altercation near 67th Avenue and Greenway Road. According to reports, a Hyundai cut off Jordan’s motorcycle, which led to a verbal dispute.
A passenger in the car, a woman, then allegedly got out of the vehicle and displayed a gun. Around 4:15 p.m., other drivers called 911 to report a welfare check on a motorcyclist in the area of 67th Avenue and Gelding Drive. Witnesses saw Jordan walking his motorcycle down the street before he toppled over. When Glendale police officers arrived, they found him with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The investigation that followed determined that the people in the other vehicle had driven away after the shooting without trying to help. Police asked for the public’s help, providing a contact number for anyone with information. Their investigation led to the arrest of 21-year-old Navaeh Worsley in connection with the fatal shooting.
In the months that followed, Jordan’s grieving family created a roadside memorial for him near 67th Avenue and Thunderbird Road. His mother, Jennifer Kemp, his sister, and his friends signed a bench they placed there, alongside small tokens, candles, flowers, and stuffed animals left by his girlfriend. “We did this so we had some place… to go when I came here to remember him,” his mother said. The family was heartbroken when they discovered on February 13 that the memorial had been destroyed. After their story was shared, however, the person responsible returned the items.
As of the last available reports from July 2023, the case against Navaeh Worsley was proceeding through the legal system and remained pending litigation.
