In the summer of 2015, the quiet community of Bellingham, Washington, was shaken by a tragedy that unfolded within the walls of a family home. Michael David Jordan, a 59-year-old male, had found a renewed sense of purpose as a special education and English teacher at the Lummi Nation School. He was a beloved figure, respected by students and staff alike. Michael and his wife Erin, who had also been a teacher at the school, were raising their 17-month-old son, Miles.
The family was in the process of selling their home with plans to move to a nearby town.
The grim discovery was made on July 19, 2015, by a real estate agent who arrived to prepare the house for an open house. Finding the doors locked and barricaded, he heard a faint cry for help from inside. After forcing his way in, he found a horrific scene in an upstairs bedroom. Michael David Jordan and his young son, Miles, were found shot to death in their bed. It was later determined they had likely been killed two days earlier, on July 17.
The sole survivor in the room was Michael's wife, Erin Lee Jordan, who was found on the floor with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her chest. She survived and was hospitalized for her injuries. From her hospital bed, she confessed to detectives that she was responsible for the deaths of her husband and son. She claimed she had shot them as they slept, believing she was saving them from stalkers. According to her statements, she had been feeling stressed, depressed, and overwhelmed by life changes and harbored paranoid beliefs that they were being watched.
Following her confession, Erin Lee Jordan was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. The investigation revealed no other motive beyond her delusional state. A handgun was recovered at the scene. Friends and colleagues expressed profound shock, remembering Michael as a dedicated teacher who cherished his role as a father. The incident left the local community and the Lummi Nation School to grapple with the devastating loss of a respected educator and his infant son.
