The suicide of a popular Marquette teenager is being linked by police to social media extortion.
Jordan DeMay was found dead Friday morning after what investigators, and his parents, say was an attempt by someone to extort him on Instagram over pictures he had taken of himself.
The sheriff’s department did not provide details on the content of the pictures. But investigators believe that “Jordan was put under extreme pressure by the perpetrator to pay money in exchange for the pictures not being sent to his family and Instagram Followers”.
DeMay, a senior at Marquette Senior High School, was a star athlete on both the Redmen basketball and football teams. The sheriff’s office says it usually does not issue press releases about suicides, but did so this time on the request of DeMay’s parents.
The entire press release from te sheriff’s department is posted below.
On Friday, March 25, 2022 at 7:40AM, Marquette County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded to a residence in Marquette Township for an apparent suicide of a 17 year-old male, Jordan John DeMay.
Normally, the Sheriff’s Office does not do press releases on suicides.
The parents of Jordan have requested this information be released. It is believed that Jordan was being extorted through Instagram over pictures that he had taken of himself. Jordan was put under extreme pressure by the perpetrator to pay money in exchange for the pictures not being sent to his family and Instagram Followers.
These events are believed to have occurred in less than six hours.
The Sheriff’s Office and the family of Jordan hope this will assist the community in their healing. We also hope this will educate others and spur courageous conversations about internet safety.
If you or a loved one is in crisis, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. The phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate this incident.
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