“This is one of those cases that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Marquette County Sheriff Greg Zybert told Inside Edition.
A Michigan teen took his own life after being extorted with an explicit photo he sent to a stranger who contacted him over social media.
“This is one of those cases that I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Marquette County Sheriff Greg Zybert told Inside Edition.
Jordan Demay was an athlete and homecoming king beloved by his classmates.
One day, Jordan received a message on Twitter that appeared to come from a teenager who said she wanted to be his friend. The person asked Jordan to send her an explicit photo of himself. Jordan was suspicious and even asked if it was a scam. Assured it wasn't, he sent the photo.
Right away, Jordan realized he was being blackmailed by the stranger. They threatened to send the photo to his family and friends at school.
“He had to get money. They told him a thousand dollars. He said, ‘I don't have that.’ [They said] ‘How much do you have,’ [Jordan said] ‘$300.’ [They said] ‘We'll get rid of everything. Send that $300.’ So he sent it,” Zybert said.
But the blackmail didn’t stop. They pressured him to send even more money.
“[Jordan] said, ‘You win, I’m going to kill myself.’ And they're like, ‘Go ahead,’” Zybert said.
From the time Jordan got the message until his death, just six hours had passed.
Jordan's story is similar to another extortion that took place last year in Potsdam, New York. Riley Basford was blackmailed the day he joined Facebook. They demanded $3,500 or they’d spread his provocative photos around town.
But just like Jordan Demay, it became too much, and Riley killed himself.
Sheriff Greg Zybert wants people to know it can happen to them.
“If it does, you need to speak out. It’s not the end of the world and not worth taking your life,” Zybert said.
The investigation to find the extortionists continues.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential support for people in distress 24/7. People can call the hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or chat online at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Related Stories
