New York police said that a body discovered on Friday is a 12-year-old boy who vanished in 2020.
WBRZ reported that a maintenance worker discovered Jaylen Griffin’s body in the attic of a home he was working on. Buffalo police said Griffin was last seen in August 2020, after he went to a grocery store but never returned home.
Griffin’s body was located five miles from his last known location. Though police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said his body “had been there for a significant amount of time,” he did not specify how long.
WBRZ reported that the Erie County Medical Examiner used dental records to identify the body as Griffin. His death has been ruled a homicide.
Speaking with WIVB, neighbors where Griffin’s body was discovered said they never smelled a foul odor. They claimed they often saw strangers moving in and out of the home. They also said they frequently saw police at the residence.
The Buffalo News reported that Griffin’s mother died last year. His 18-year-old brother was fatally shot three months after his disappearance.
“I’m reminded by his mother Joann Ponzo, who on her dying bed said, ‘Don’t stop looking for my son,’” Pastor Tim Newkirk of GYC Ministries told WIVB.
Meanwhile, Griffin’s grandmother told WKBW that her grandson was not a runaway and she does not know how he ended up in that home miles from where he was last seen.
“Remember him as a child,” she said.
A $7,500 reward is being offered for information in this case. Anonymous tips can be reported to Crime Stoppers by calling 716-867-6161 or online at http://crimestopperswny.org.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Jaylen Griffin/Handout]
