On the evening of August 20, 2018, in Bend, Oregon, a devastating scene unfolded inside a home on Mount Hope Drive. Seven-year-old Mason Jordan, a male child, was found deceased in his bedroom by a relative who had come to the house. The cause of his death was a single gunshot wound. First responders who arrived at the home also discovered Mason's mother, Tashina Aleine Jordan, unconscious from a drug overdose in an apparent suicide attempt.
Mason was a child who faced significant health
challenges throughout his young life. He was born with severe cognitive and physical disabilities, including cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, which required him to use a wheelchair and receive constant care. Despite his medical issues, those who knew Mason remembered him as a happy and curious boy who enjoyed reading, painting, music, and playing with toy cars. His community at Miller Elementary School had previously rallied to support him and his family, raising funds for a wheelchair ramp and a van to accommodate his needs.
The investigation into Mason's death quickly focused on his mother, who was his primary caretaker. Evidence found at the scene, including a handwritten note, indicated that Tashina Jordan had planned to take her own life after killing her son. The gun she had used on Mason reportedly malfunctioned when she attempted to use it on herself. After being hospitalized and recovering from her overdose, Tashina Jordan was arrested and charged with aggravated murder.
In the subsequent legal proceedings, details of Tashina Jordan's mental state came to light. Her defense argued that she was under extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the incident, a result of the immense stress of being a single mother to a child with significant disabilities, coupled with her own documented mental health struggles. It was revealed that she had been experiencing hallucinations in the months leading up to the tragedy. In June 2020, Tashina Jordan pleaded guilty to murder. However, the court reduced the conviction to first-degree manslaughter, acknowledging her extreme emotional disturbance. She was sentenced to the Oregon State Hospital for up to 20 years.
